1. Choosing Your Speed Cube

The centerpiece of any cuber's toolkit is the cube itself. For beginners, a standard 3x3 cube is an ideal starting point. SpeedCubeShop offers a diverse selection, with popular choices like the MoYu RS3 M 2020 3x3 Magnetic and GAN 14 3x3 Magnetic. These cubes boast advanced features like magnetic positioning for precision and a smooth turning experience. Additionally, unique cubes such as the Penguin Cube and the Glow in the Dark 3x3 add a fun twist to traditional cubing.

[dib_prod_6878300504177]

[dib_prod_4517998690417]

2. The Importance of Lubrication

Lubrication is key to maintaining your cube’s performance. It not only makes the cube turn smoother and faster but also prolongs its life. Martian Lubricant, available at SpeedCubeShop, is a favorite among speedcubers. Regular application can transform the feel of your cube, making it more responsive and enjoyable to use.

[dib_prod_9196218514]

3. Exploring Different Cube Brands

The choice of brand can significantly influence your cubing experience. SpeedCubeShop features an extensive range of brands such as MoYu, QiYi, GAN, and YJ. Each brand offers cubes with unique features and feel. For instance, MoYu is known for its innovative designs, while GAN cubes are often preferred for their lightweight and speed. Trying out different brands can help you find the cube that best fits your style and preferences.

[dib_prod_9482138002]

[dib_prod_4450438512753]

[dib_prod_4408501305457]

4. Timers and Tracking Progress

Timers are essential for any speedcuber aiming to improve their solving times. Using a timer helps you track your progress and set goals. While SpeedCubeShop doesn’t directly list timers, they are a crucial investment for your speedcubing setup. You can find a variety of timers online that range from simple models to advanced ones with Bluetooth connectivity for tracking your progress digitally.

[dib_prod_6551453794417]

[dib_prod_6580643037297]

5. Additional Accessories

Beyond cubes and lubricants, consider investing in additional accessories like cube bags for safe storage and mats for a stable solving surface. These accessories not only protect your cubes but also enhance your overall solving experience.

[dib_prod_4366919762033]

[dib_prod_8904825362]

6. Learning and Improvement

As a new speedcuber, learning different solving methods and algorithms is essential. SpeedCubeShop offers resources and tools to help you learn and improve. From beginner's guides to advanced tutorials, there’s a wealth of information available. Engaging with the speedcubing community through forums and social media can also provide valuable tips and encouragement.

7. Experimenting with Different Puzzles

Speedcubing isn’t limited to just 3x3 cubes. As you gain confidence, experiment with different types and sizes of puzzles. From 2x2 cubes to complex 4x4 and beyond, each puzzle offers a unique challenge and helps build different aspects of your cubing skills.

[dib_prod_9992767890]

[dib_prod_1300635910257]

8. The Role of Practice

Consistent practice is the key to improvement in speedcubing. Set aside regular time for practice, and try to solve a variety of puzzles. This not only improves your speed and technique but also keeps the experience fresh and enjoyable.

9. Joining Competitions

Once you feel confident in your skills, participating in competitions can be a thrilling experience. Competitions provide an opportunity to meet fellow cubers, learn from them, and test your skills in a more structured environment.

10. Personal Enjoyment and Goals

Lastly, remember that speedcubing is as much about personal enjoyment as it is about competition. Set personal goals, whether it’s mastering a new puzzle or breaking your own record. Enjoy the process of learning and improving, and celebrate your achievements along the way.

Conclusion

Starting your journey in speedcubing is an adventure filled with learning and excitement. With the right tools and resources, you can pave your path to becoming a skilled speedcuber. SpeedCubeShop offers a comprehensive range of products that cater to the needs of beginners and advanced cubers alike. Embrace the challenge, and most importantly, have fun on your speedcubing journey!

SpeedCube Mats: More than Just Protection

At first glance, a speed cube mat might seem like a simple protective layer for your table or desk.

But it’s much more than that:

1. Protection for your Cube: Just as it safeguards your table from potential scratches and dents,

the soft surface of the mat also ensures that your cube is not damaged when dropped. Given

the high intensity and rapid moves involved in speedcubing, accidental drops are not

uncommon.

2. Aesthetic Appeal: Many mats come with eye-catching designs and graphics, which can

personalize and enhance the overall appearance of your cubing space such as our Cosmic V2

Mini Mat or Blast Off Mini Mat.

[dib_prod_6623883165809]

[dib_prod_4542128619633]

Timers: Accuracy is Key

In a world where milliseconds can make a difference, having accurate cube timers is of paramount

importance. Here's why:

1. Precision: Speedcube timers are designed specifically for the needs of speedcubers. They

provide split-second accuracy, ensuring that you get a precise measurement of your solve time, especially one like

the SpeedStacks Tournament Display Pro. 

[dib_prod_6883587620977]

2. Ease of Use: Many timers are designed for two-hand operation, allowing cubers to start and

stop the timer effortlessly.

3. Durability: Given the frequency with which they are used, these timers are built to last. They can

withstand repeated use without losing their accuracy.

4. Connectivity: Some advanced timers can connect to computers or mobile apps, allowing

cubers to log their times and track their progress such as the GAN Halo Bluetooth Timer (Smart)

[dib_prod_6880932724849]

Why Choose Us?

When it comes to purchasing speedcube mats and timers, we stand out for

various reasons:

1. Wide Range of Products: Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned cuber, SpeedCubeShop

offers a plethora of choices tailored to your needs.

2. Quality Assurance: The products are sourced from reputed brands known for their quality and

durability.

3. Customer-Centric Approach: The website is easy to navigate, and they have an efficient

customer service system in place to address any concerns or queries.

4. Competitive Pricing: While ensuring quality, we also ensure that the

products are priced competitively.

5. Fast Shipping: For those eager to get their hands on their new gear, we ensure

timely delivery.

Conclusion

For a speedcuber, every detail matters. The right equipment can play a significant role in

improving performance and enhancing the overall cubing experience. Speedcube mats and

timers are not just accessories; they are essential tools for serious cubers. When looking for

the best in the business, we have proven time and time again to be the go-to

destination. Whether you're aiming to break a personal record or set a new world record, ensure

you're equipped with the best!

Introduction

The 3rd step of vanilla CFOP, Orientation of the Last Layer, or OLL, is where the pieces in the U layer are "oriented" - all of the U layer pieces' colors are facing upwards, but the pieces are not permuted.

There are a total of 57 algorithms for full OLL, and it is advised to learn all of them after having learned 2 Look OLL

Don't know how to read the letters? Check our article on cubing notation for 3x3.

Flashcards

[dib_prod_6623029559409]

Algorithms

Click on the algorithm to be linked to speedcubestats.com's fingertrick simulator, which has animated versions of all of the algorithms.

After the attempt is finished, score is calculated by subtracting the number of unsolved cubes by the number of solved cubes, and in the case of a tie, the faster time is better. For example, a 7/10 in 50:33 attempt would be 4 points because 7 solved cubes - 3 unsolved cubes = 4 points. However, this would be ranked worse than a 4/4 in 30:10, as the 4/4 attempt is faster.

Before attempting multiblind, you should know how to solve a 3x3 blindfolded.  

3BLD vs MBLD

At first glance, multiblind looks the same as 3BLD, but with more cubes. However, there’s a few changes that make MBLD slightly different. 

Memo-execution order: In 3BLD, most people memorize corners, memorize edges, execute edges, and execute corners in that order. This is done so edges can be stored in short-term memory, as you execute them right after you finish memorizing them. However, in MBLD, both edges and corners need to be stored in long-term memory. Therefore, it makes more sense to memorize and execute in the same order. Most people choose to memorize edges, memorize corners, execute edges, then execute corners. 

Memorization technique: An average 3BLD solve will require you to memorize about 20 letters. This can be done using images, audio, or visuals. However, in MBLD, you have to memorize a lot more. To accomplish this, a technique known as Roman Rooms (Method of Loci) is used to memorize large amounts of information effectively.

Roman Rooms

The roman rooms technique involves placing objects along a set route through rooms that you’re familiar with. The rooms can be anything, from a bedroom to a playground, to a road intersection. You can even use a location in a video game as a room! The most important thing when choosing rooms is that you’re very familiar with them and can easily picture them in your head. 

Source: 4BLD (Timothy Goh) 

You can split a room into several loci to store more information. Loci are just particular points, or locations, in that room. For example, if you were to use a bedroom as a room, then you might have a locus on the bed, on the desk, and on the floor near the door. It’s important to have easily distinguishable loci - if they’re too similar, the information stored in them might get mixed up. 

To apply roman rooms to multiblind, the letter pairs that you memorize from the cube can be translated into objects placed in your rooms. Typically, the corner memo of a cube is placed in one locus, and the edge memo is either placed in one locus or split across two. This is best explained using an example:

Edge memo: QU BN SA JR FW VA

Letter pairs: QUartz BeaN SAnta JaR FloWer VAse

For this example, we’re going to use the bedroom example from earlier and split the edge memo across two loci. The first locus is the bed. Try to visualize a piece of quartz, a bean, and Santa on top of the bed. It’s important to keep these in order, so mentally place them in a line from left to right. The second locus is on the desk. Visualize a jar, flower, and vase on the desk. To make it more memorable, it helps to have some interaction between the objects. You can visualize a jar with a flower in it, then the flower moving to a vase.

Corner memo: BT MD OL SR

Letter pairs: BaT MaD OLd StaR

The third locus is on the floor near the door. Picture a bat getting mad at an old star in that location. It should feel like a scene - your memorization is the action, and the room is the setting.

Congratulations! You just used roman rooms to memorize a cube. You can repeat this process using different rooms and loci to memorize as many cubes as you need.

Review

Reviewing your memorization is important to actually retaining it. When attempting a small number of cubes, you can review everything each time you memorize another cube. For example, you go through cube 1, then cubes 1-2, then cubes 1-3, then cubes 1-4, and so on. However, this is time-consuming, and at a higher level it’s better to use a structured review system.

Conclusion

A linear memo-exec order, roman rooms, and a review system are crucial to successfully doing multiblind. Being comfortable with these techniques will make multiblind much more manageable and will help you get your first success.

Popular MBLD Cubes - relatively cheap but solid performance, perfect for multiblind due to the high amount of cubes required:

[dib_prod_2541328728177]

[dib_prod_10485352658]

[dib_prod_4517998690417]

Keep in mind that all cubes in multiblind should not have a logo for official WCA competition. The cubes listed above have removable logo stickers rather than logos printed directly on the cube.

Watch the video tutorial above.

[dib_prod_6743817060465]

Parts Needed

• MoYu WeiLong WR M 2021 MagLev or MoYu WeiLong WR M 2021 Lite
  Note that the WR M 2021 Lite is the same as the WR M 2021, just with reduced packaging, whereas the MagLev variant replaces the springs with two repelling magnets in each center.
• Cuber's Home Magnetic Core Conversion Kit - WeiLong WR M 2021
• Superglue - typically available at hobbyist or hardware stores
• Phillips head screwdriver - included with the WR M variants

Disassembly

After taking the cube and the magnetic core kit out of the packaging, take off two center caps on opposite sides.

Once taking off the center caps, unscrew both opposite screws enough so that an edge can be pried out of the cube. Fully disassemble by removing all edges and corner pieces of the puzzle. Set the corners and edges aside.

Fully unscrew the opposite centers, being careful to not lose any pieces, including the screw and two repelling magnets/springs found underneath the screw. Set these pieces aside. 

Installing Core Magnets

Now the core is exposed, the core magnets can be installed. The magnetic core conversion kit comes in two halves, and small detachable bits that will be added to the corners - set these pieces aside.

Place one half of the core conversion kit on one of the sides where the screw and center were removed, and place it firmly. Flip the core over.

Take note of the other half of the core magnets. Ensure that the clips of the installed center half are adjacent to the clips on the other half - in an "X" configuration.

Press both ends together until an audible "snap" is heard to install the core magnets - this may take some force.

Installing Corner Magnets

Take all of the corner pieces of the cube and separate these from the edges. Each corner has a small hole in the stem on the bottom - this is where the small corner magnets that were set aside from the previous step will be installed.

Take a small magnet, and apply glue to the side that does not have a magnet. Only a small, thin layer of glue around the surface is necessary.

Once the glue is applied, immediately take a corner and stick the glue-applied side into the corner stalk hole. Leave it for a moment to dry then set aside. Repeat for the other seven corners, and set aside for a sufficient amount of time to dry - refer to your superglue packaging for drying time.

Reassembly

While the glue is drying, you can reattach the two centers with their screws and magnets/springs back to the core. Take the center with the screw and it back in, ensuring that the screw is aligned straight with the core to avoid stripping the core. Repeat for the other screw center which was removed. Don't fully screw in the two screws, as after the cube is re-assembled you can fix the screw tensions.

Ensure that the magnet has dried sufficiently in the corners by giving the corners a slight shake - the magnets should not fall out if sufficiently glued in.

Reassemble the cube as per standard.

Conclusion

Once reassembled, you can tension the sides, adjust the dual adjustment system and lubricate to your preference if you so desire.

Learn more about speed cube lubricant here.

High-Viscosity Lubricant

If you child has a current "main speed cube" that they enjoy solving, some thicker, "high-viscosity" lubricant can help to dampen the sound from the speed cube. High-viscosity lubricant, meaning a lubricant with higher resistance to movement, can dampen sound when applied to the internals of a speed cube.

Some of our recommendations for high-viscosity lubricant to make a speed cube quieter include

NEBULA	Speed Lube Weight 5	Speed Lube Weight 8

Read more about speed cube lubricant here.

Quiet Speed Cube Options

If your child doesn't have any particular preference as to what cube they use, a cube with a design that results in quieter turning may be favorable, especially when lubricated with a high-viscosity lubricant to minimize noise as much as possible

DaYan Tengyun V1

The DaYan Tengyun V1 was a solid return to form for the legacy manufacturer, featuring a design with soft turning primary internals, weak magnets, and superb corner-cutting that results in a very quiet turning experience.

[dib_prod_2167983964273]

GAN 356 XS

The GAN 356 XS was the successor to the widely successful GAN 356 X, featuring adjustable magnets, GAN's signature "honeycomb" internal design, and superb corner-cutting, the 356 XS despite being a few years old is a solid choice for those looking for a quiet turning experience, as comparatively the newer models are slightly louder - but even more solid performers.

[dib_prod_4258644099185]

X-Man Tornado V2

The Tornado V2 is one of the slightly louder picks, but still relatively quiet in comparison to some of the more noisy cubes on the market. The Tornado V2 features an adjustable magnet and spring strength, and has a muted, clacky turning feel and turning noise.

[dib_prod_6580646510705]

So, after having either taken some pieces out to expose the centre piece only, or the cube having exploded like in the image above, the first step to diagnosing the issue is to check whether or not the center pieces stays in place. Simply try rotation the center around gently while pulling up on the center piece.

The Fix

If the center pieces readily comes off of the cube, it likely means that your GES system is not properly locked into place.

Firstly, if other pieces of your GAN speed cube are not fully installed, add them back into your cube as shown below.

Take your center piece, and find the small opening on the inside of the center after taking off the center cap. You may find two other small pieces, in particular a spring and a blue colored plastic piece - set these aside as they will be important later.

Line up the opening with the notches that appear on the sides of the metal core, place the center piece in. If these notches not lined up, you will be unable to place the center piece back into the cube.

The next step is to take the GES spring, encased in a piece of plastic. This piece will just sit in the puzzle around the core axis as pictured below.

Lastly is the GES nut, which is going to be the light or dark blue piece, where similar notches to the center piece itself are present on the piece, and will need to be aligned with the core axis.

Once the blue piece is lined up, push down all the way until the spring is fully compressed, then rotate the piece with the fingers about 45 degrees until it locks into place.

Once installed correctly, you can pull on the center piece to ensure the pieces are properly installed.

[dib_prod_6633183543409]

Watch the video here

What is spring noise?

A standard speed cube has six springs under each of the center pieces as part of its mechanism, which allows the puzzles to "snap" back into place after corner cutting. Without springs or similar, the cube would not properly hold its cubic shape, making it more difficult to turn.

Sometimes, the springs may rub up against the screw that holds the spring and center pieces in place, creating friction which may result in a slight scratchy or metallic noise when turning. For some this might not be a big issue, but others may find this rather irritating especially if you are looking to cube as quietly as possible.

What's the fix?

The fix is extremely easy - it just requires a bit of speed cube lube.

Read our full article on speed cube lubricant here.

SpeedCubeShop CEO Cameron recommends Lunar or Martian for the core, but our dedicated core lube Vortex or any thicker lubricant works extremely well in dampening spring noise.

Simply take off the center cap that has the piece that has the spring noise, and apply the lubricant to the gap in between the spring and the screw. After applying a few drops of lubricant, turn the side multiple times to work in the lubricant. If spring noise persists, apply a few more drops and repeat until the spring noise subsides - although keep in mind it is easier to apply lubricant rather than take it out.

Taking the center cap off

Apply lubricant to the core

Turning the side to "break in" or distribute the lubricant around the spring and screw.

[dib_prod_198735691794]

[dib_prod_9196218514]

What is CFOP?

CFOP stands for Cross, First Two Layers (F2L), Orientation of the Last Layer (OLL) and Permutation of the Last Layer (PLL). It is by far the most popular advanced speed cubing method, with the vast majority of 3x3 and 4x4+ WCA records using the CFOP method.

This method was first developed in the early 1980s combining innovations by a number of speed cubers. Czech speedcuber and the namesake of the method Jessica Fridrich is generally credited for popularizing it by publishing it online in 1997. Wikipedia

Steps

Cross

Solve a cross onto one of the sides of the cube; most commonly the white side.

General Tips for Cross

• Solve the cross directly onto the bottom layer, so you don't have to rotate the cube after its completion
• All crosses can be solved in 8 moves or less

F2L

Solve the first two layers, by solving the four "slots" around the cube by pairing and inserting corner and edge pieces at the same time

General Tips for Cross

• Know how to pair pieces together from multiple angles
• Learn how to solve into any slot, not just the front right slot

OLL

Orient the last layer edges and corners

• Learn how to solve OLL with good fingertricks and algorithms in order to solve the step the fastest possible

PLL

Solve the last layer edges and corners

• Learn how to solve PLL with good fingertricks and algorithms in order to solve the step the fastest possible

Resources

https://futurpagerank.com/library

[dib_prod_6623029559409]

What is ZZ?

ZZ, named after it's creator Zbigniew Zborowski, is known for its low movecount and high TPS (turn per second) solving style, along with no rotation of the cube once solving. It shares similar solving technique to CFOP, but has an extra step at the start known as "EOLine", which leads to F2L (first two layers) being easier to solve. It's also well known for its heavy algorithm usage, with numerous subsets for both last layer and influencing last layer with the last pair, thanks to the oriented edges in the EOLine step.

Steps

EOLine, EOCross and Variations

EOLine is the original first step of ZZ proposed by its creator, where the solver orients all edges and solves the front and back edges on the D (bottom) layer. This allows for a rotationaless solve and for more options in the final layer as explained below.

EOCross is similar to EOLine, where edges are oriented, but a full CFOP-style cross is solved instead.

An edge is defined as oriented if it can be solved using only R, L, U and D face turns. If an edge cannot be solved using these face turns then it is a misoriented or 'bad' edge.
https://futurpagerank.com/zz.php?p=eoline 

F2L

After EOLine, a 3x2x1 block on both the left and right faces. This can be done without rotations since all edges are oriented.

After EOCross, the first two layers can be solved similarly to CFOP. Since the edges were oriented in the first step, this can also be done without any rotations.

Last Layer

Last layer has a lot of solving options thanks to the orientation of the edges in the first step, meaning that there will always be a "cross" on top of the U layer.

ZBLL

Standard Last Layer

4th Pair influencing Last Layer