Hey guys it's me CriticalCubing and today I will be discussing on lookahead and how
slow solving is not over-rated and it's a mandatory part in the process for improving
lookahead.
Kian Mansour had made a video on slow solving being over-rated, and I agreed with his thoughts
on the topic, however since then I have had time to play around with different techniques
and lookahead methods, and I'm of the opinion that only turning fast is calling for disaster.
Fast solves are overrated.
Before anyone gets offended or misunderstands it as an attempt to call out Kian, I'm not
doing anything of that sort.
Kian is a good friend and he is right that only doing slow solves are overrated, but
I don't think that only doing fast solves is the answer.
I have come to a different conclusion, which I'll share in a bit.
I'm not saying Kian is wrong.
I'm just adding more to the topic and contributing my opinion.
What is lookahead?
Oxford dictionary uses this meaning: The action or an act of considering what is likely to
happen, or of calculating what can happen, in the (immediate) future.
Translating this in cubing terms, we are tracking pieces and predicting future positions while
simultaneously performing turns that brings the cube to a solved state.
What is the significance of slow solving in the lookahead process?
Slow solving helps in learning to look at our next pieces, while we are solving our
current pieces, all while we are trying not to pause.
This is training our brain to keep a constant pace and consistently be on a lookout for
future positions and what pieces to track.
Slow solving is an imperative process for learning to lookahead.
Some people may not need slow solving, and lookahead just clicks for them.
However those are outliers and for the majority, lookahead is something that needs to be trained.
As an analogy, before we learned to walk as kids, we learned to crawl.
And before we learned to run, we learned to walk.
These things are a process, like climbing a staircase.
Most people do not skip the process, unless they are a prodigy or have innate talent which
puts them in their own league.
When climbing a staircase, some people might jump to the 4th stair.
However usually you keep one foot on the first stair, and use that as a launching pad to
balance yourself, and put the other foot on the second stair, and continue climbing.
The process of lookahead is the same, with slow solving being part of the initial steps.
Once you have learned to lookahead and can already turn relatively fast without pauses,
the goal is to maintain the level of lookahead while you start turning fast.
Here is where the problem occurs.
When you start turning fast, you will undeniably start to pause, and your lookahead won't be
as good as when you're solving at a slower pace.
People seem to panic here and go back to slow solving, thinking continuing slow solving
will improve their lookahead.
Using the stair analogy, if you're standing on the 4th step, and you put your other foot
on the 5th step, but panic and go back to the 4th step, how do you think you will climb
to the 5th step?
Turning fast is also a process of lookahead and pausing or having choppy solves when turning
fast is completely normal.
When you try standing up from crawling, you always fall down, since you arent used to
it.
Does that mean you should continue crawling?
Since it's comfortable?
Of course not.
You should face the challenge and stand up until you can keep on standing.
Babies have got this down impeccably.
Their initial failure doesn't bother them, and they continue to stand up until they can
stand straight.
Thus continuing to only slow solve when you already have fluid and pauseless solves is
a foolish endeavor because your lookahead isn't going to be improving anymore.
Kian had mentioned the same thing.
When you are accustomed to solving slow, and you suddenly start solving fast, your brain
gets confused and mystified since it isn't used to turning fast.
Take this as an opportunity to learn to turn fast, and don't back down away from it.
Problem with slow solving is that after a certain time, it gives diminishing returns.
Your brain is already used to turning slow, and it cannot learn anything new if you continue
to slow solve.
Why you should increase your TPS and start getting used to the new TPS.
However here is where the next problem occurs.
When you start turning fast, you will undeniably pause.
Some people think that the pauses will go away automatically and you only need to get
used to turning at fast tps.
I was in the same boat when I realized that I needed to turn fast and not slow solve anymore.
I went overboard with fast solving, kept on turning fast, while keeping my pauses minimal.
This did improve my times, and I dropped a whole second from my times, however in the
long run it was a bad decision.
By the time my hands and eyes were used to the new TPS, my lookahead had already gone
rotten.
For improving my lookahead, I started slow solving and I went back to my previous slower
tps, which gave diminishing returns since I was used to that tps.
This is a loop.
You turn fast, your lookahead falters, lookahead becomes bad overtime, you slow solve to rectify
your lookahead, and you get used to your slow tps and your lookahead skills are not carried
forward to your faster tps.
I spent a fair share of my time revisiting this loop.
If you look at my previous solves, my initial slow turning solves were fluid, then I started
turning faster and had pauses, and I continued turning fast keeping a track of the pieces
hoping that my lookahead will automatically catch up, but my lookahead didn't increase.
However I found a way to break the loop and if you look at my recent solves, my lookahead
during blocks is relatively fluid while I maintain my higher tps.
This is where I don't agree with Kian that fast turning improves lookahead.
Fast turning does help but you need to counter your lack of lookahead when turning fast.
Your brain and eyes are already used to slower tps, thus exposing yourself to the same stimulus
isn't going to help you get results.
This was mentioned by Kian as the law of biological accomodation.
It states that when you expose yourself to constant or unchanging stimulus, your brain
gets tremendously used to it that you won't improve further, unless you change the stimulus.
The change in stimulus here is turning fast, but when you turn fast, your lookahead becomes
bad, and if you continue turning fast with bad lookahead, you're solidifying bad practice
technique which isn't desirable and counter productive in the long run.
What is the solution then?
The answer is progressive overload.
Progressive overload is a body building technique which places stress over the body which you
gradually increase over time.
It was developed by Thomas Delorme during WW2 while he rehabilitated soldiers.
For understanding progressive overload, I'll mention the example of Milo of Croton who
was a Greek wrestler during 6th Century BC and won various athletic festivals which showcased
his strength.
The legend says that for strength training, Milo bought a calf and carried it on his shoulder
everyday, and fed the calf until it became a full sized bull.
He kept on carrying the calf transitioning to a bull on his shoulder everyday.
As the calf became a bull, it's weight increased progressively, and as Milo carried the progressive
weight on his shoulder, he got used to the new weight, and his strength increased as
a result.
I use the same concept for lookahead practice.
If your current limit is 5 TPS, then you shouldn't be turning at 5 TPS since it is meaningless
as you're already used to it.
You should start overloading yourself and start turning at 5.5TPS or 6TPS while trying
to maintain your lookahead.
Don't worry too much about pausing excessively.
Try to keep your pauses minimal, and remember it's okay to pause in the short term, as long
as you're not making it a bad habit.
Do 12 solves while you turn faster, and take a break.
With the first ao12, you have overloaded your brain with faster tps, and changed the stimulus,
thus allowing your brain a chance to improve it's tracking speed for lookahead.
Come back later and do 12 solves of slower solving where you try to maximize lookahead
and not pause.
This seems counter-productive since you go back to slow turning, but it makes sure that
your lookahead skills get carried over to faster tps.
For slow turning, don't turn too slow as if trying not to pause.
Go at your normal tps and be vigilant about looking ahead and tracking pieces.
Take break.
Till now you did one session of fast turning emphasizing turning fast and trying to get
used to the faster stimulus.
In the next session you're trying to keep the reins on your lookahead in your control
so that even though you're turning fast, your lookahead skills will be carried over.
Continue this process of 12 solves of fast turning, break and then doing slower turning
and you allow your brain to improve since you're changing the stimulus, while you also
make sure that you lookahead isn't going bad or you're creating bad practice habits.
You can also increase number of solves from 12 to 24 or even 50 if you wish.
You can also do one day of slow solving and the other day of fast solving.
You can switch it up.
Your brain gets adjusted to the increasing TPS, while you also simultaneously allow your
brain to not lose it's lookahead capability.
You can change your routine and do one solve fast, one solve slower and alternate between
fast and slow, and basically increase tps while you also make sure your lookahead is
being dragged along with it.
Currently I'm of the opinion that slow turning which emphasizes lookahead, and fast turning
which emphasizes tps should be balanced and have harmony and synergy between them.
Slow solving isn't overrated, and fast solving is also not overrated.
What matters is forming a balance.
If you're on the extremes of the spectrum, you'll not improve and will get diminishing
returns and solidify bad habits, which is quite cumbersome to change down the line.
Why it's good to be in the middle and alternative between slow and fast, qnd allow your brain
to adjust to the changing stimulus while you maintain a blance.
The next problem here is that people want fast results.
They start doing this sort of alternative practice, and they want to achieve Max Park
TPS and lookahead skills in 3 days when they cannot even turn at 3 tps with pauseless fluid
lookahead, and they blame the method, practice technique or externals for their frustruation.
The only tip here is to be patient and persevere.
When I was testing out this progressive overload method on myself, it took me a month to get
constant results and smooth lookahead at relatively high tps.
Even with that, it is still not perfected.
Thus expecting overnight success is gearing up for failure and upset.
You want your lookahead to become a subsoncious habit so that your brain automatically starts
tracking pieces without you constantly telling it to do so.
This subconscious habit takes time to build, practice and form.
As such, be patient and diligently practice and results are just beyond the horizon.
A stream of water cuts through a rock, not by it's power, force or pressure, but by persevering.
You can reach the lookahead capability of world class cubers, but it will take time
to do so.
Wait.
Apart from practicing, another thing I recommend doing is blind f2l solving, which is keeping
your eyes closed and solving whatever case you get.
I go over practice techniques for improving lookahead in a seperate video, which I'll
link in the description.
It's a must watch according to me and has helped me tremensiously.
Do it for some time, and you'll see results.
Progressive overload doesn't stop at lookahead and TPS.
You can even use it for inspection planning and other creative uses.
If currently for CFOP you're planning cross + 1, then you can start planning cross +2
and your brain will get slowly used to the overload.
For Roux, if you're comfortable with FB + DR, then you can overload and force yourself
to find a pair for second block during inspection.
Progressive overload is a useful concept and you can apply it not only for cubing, but
for other activities as well.
For music, if you're playing a violin and you're already comfortable in playing the
piece at 70% of normal tempo, then continuing to play at that speed will be useless.
You should start playing at 80% until you can play at 100% tempo.
Go beyond your comfort zone.
Get comfortable being uncomfortable.
That is where you grow and improve.
This is basically my thoughts on the topic of lookahead and if you should turn fast or
slow solve for improving lookahead.
Neither slow solving, nor fast solving is overrated.
What matters is forming a balance between them, like yin and yang.
I will be making some more videos on lookahead, practice techniques, and what to keep in mind
for improving lookahead, so be on a lookout for my future videos, and press the bell icon
so that you get notified when I upload newer videos.
Subscribe for more cubing content and I'll see you in my next video.
Take care guys, and April Fools.