Faster: finger tricks and lookahead
Goal: Solve the whole cube with CFOP, with fewer and fewer pauses.
Hold your cube like the one on screen (yellow on top) and repeat the moves of each case.
Use the cube on the page: watch the cases, then practice. Turn layers by dragging a piece or with the keyboard (U D R L F B and M, Shift = prime). Rw is R + M'.
With two-look CFOP you already have everything you need to get under a minute. What makes the difference now is how you turn and how much you pause.
Turn with your fingers (finger tricks)
- Hold the cube with your thumbs in front and your fingers at the back, without squeezing.
- R and R' with your right wrist; U with your right index finger pushing the back corner; U' with your left index finger.
- Avoid rotating the whole cube: every rotation is a pause.
Lookahead: don't stop
Speedcubers aren't fast because they turn fast, but because they don't stop. While inserting an F2L pair, they are already looking for the next one. To train it, solve slowly but without pauses: it feels slower, but you'll finish sooner.
Inspection and timer
In competition you get 15 seconds to look at the cube before starting. Use them to plan the whole cross and, if you can, the first pair. Train with the academy timer and watch your average of 5 (ao5), which tells you more than your best time.
A speedcube (magnetic and lubricated) helps a lot too: it turns smoothly, doesn't lock up and forgives imperfect turns.
Practice on the cube: when you succeed, the lesson will be marked as done.