Do you yearn to get even faster at solving a Rubik's Cube, but just don't know where
to begin? Well, after watching this video, consider your Problem Solved!
[Logo Scene] This is, Problem Solved! Before we begin, this video does assume that
you know how to solve a Rubik's Cube, and I highly recommend that you be able to solve
a Rubik's Cube in about 1 minute, or even faster. If you are missing one or both of
these, I strongly suggest that you watch this playlist before watching this video
Let's get started! In this video you will be introduced to speedcubing, the art of solving
a Rubik's Cube in the shortest possible time. I will outline each of the three main speedcubing
methods for this 3x3 puzzle so you can choose which one you feel best suits you. These are
the CFOP method, the ZZ Method, and the Roux Method.
Up first is the massively popular CFOP aka Fridrich Method. This method has four steps.
First you solve a cross on the bottom of the cube, then you solve the first two layers
simultaneously followed by orienting the last layer and permuting the last layer to solve
the cube. This method averages about 55-60 moves per solve and requires the memorization
of 78 algorithms. For beginners the OLL and PLL stages can be broken up into two steps
each. This will increase the average movecount per solve to about 75; however, it will reduce
the number of algorithms needed to be memorized down to *16. This method is great because
it is really easy to learn. It just takes many of the steps from most beginners methods
and combines them to make them more efficient. Also, because it is so popular, there's lots
of other tutorials and guides, things you can look up, to get better at this method.
However, there are some downsides to this method. In the realm of speedcubing it has
a high movecount. And it requires that you memorize many algorithms in order to become
fully proficient. Furthermore, plugin methods like COLL, ZBLL, and Winter Variation are
less effective with CFOP than they are with other methods. All that being said, CFOP is
great for beginners who just want to jump right into the world of speedcubing!
Up next it the modern ZZ Method. This method has four steps, beginning with the distinctive
EOLine, which orients every edge on the cube and forms a line across the bottom. The first
two layers are then solved simultaneously using blockbuilding techniques at which point
a cross is automatically formed on the top layer. Then there's orientation of the last
layer followed by permutation of the last layer to solve the cube. This method averages
about 50-55 moves per solve and requires the memorization of only 28 algorithms. For beginners,
the EOLine and PLL stages can be broken up into two steps. This will increase the average
movecount to about 60-65 turns but it will reduce the algorithms needed to
be memorized down to *14. ZZ is great because it has a low movecount. Also, no cube rotations
are required during the solve. Also, because of the blockbuilding nature of the first two
layers and the super high effective rate of plugin methods, this method becomes more powerful
the more you practice and learn. However, there are some downsides to ZZ. Because of
some of the abstract ideas used in the EOLine and the blockbuilding nature of the first
two layers, this method is fairly difficult to learn and requires a lot of getting used
to. Also, because this method is newer and less popular it is less researched. There
is less content on the internet to help you learn more about and get faster at this method.
All that being said, ZZ is great for anyone who is serious about getting into speedcubing.
It is wierd starting out, but it has incredible power and speed as you practice and learn
more about it, especially when you begin adding in plugin methods such as Winter Variation,
COLL, or ZBLL that I mentioned earlier. Finally we have the Roux method which has
five steps. First a 1x2x3 block is created on the left hand side of the cube, followed
by an identical block on the right side. Then the corners of the last layer are solved followed
by orienting the last 6 edges and permuting the last 6 edges. This method averages about
45-50 moves per solve and requires the memorization of 42 algorithms. Roux can be simplified for
beginners by breaking up the last 3 steps into several sub-steps each. This will raise
the average move count closer to around 60 moves per solve but it will drop the number
of algorithms needed to be memorized down to 9. Roux is great because it has the lowest
average movecount of the three main speedcubing methods. It also doesn't require the memorization
of that any algorithms, neither does it require that you do any cube rotations as you solve
and because it's built around blockbuilding techniques, it becomes more powerful the more
you learn. However, just like the other two methods, Roux does have its downsides. Because
Roux is so fundamentally different from most beginners methods, it is somewhat difficult
to learn. Also the heavy use of the M layer in the last two steps effectively requires
that you have a good speedcube in order to execute them quickly. Furthermore, because
Roux is not commonly used there's not a super whole lot of content or other research out there to
help you learn about and get faster at it. All that being said, Roux is a solid speedcubing method.
Its hyper low movecount gives it the potential to be the fastest of the three methods. Furthermore,
it's really fun to solve the cube using Roux! You are now ready to choose which speedcubing
method you wish to learn! Go ahead and subscribe to my channel so you can be notified as I
release tutorials on each of these methods. This has been Problem Solved, over and out!