# How to be Sub X on 2x2 - Chris Olson



## Rubiks560 (Oct 29, 2013)

Hey y'all, this is something I've been meaning to do for...well, ages. And lately I've felt really motivated to get better at videography (Getting a new shiny Nikon d7000 helped) and making better tutorials. So I figured I would start with a video series on how to break each big barrier for 2x2. Sub 5/sub4, sub 3, sub 2.5, sub 2,3, and maybe sub 2. Although, in all honesty, sub 2 would be something along the lines of "Turn super fast, optimize algs, cancel moves"  

If you have any other video series/tutorials on 2x2 you would like to see from me, let me know 

Intro: 





Sub 5/sub 4





Sub 3





Sub 2.5





Sub 2.3 and beyond.


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## kcl (Oct 29, 2013)

This is great 

Plz mak how to b sub 2 wit CLL nxt


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## JackJ (Oct 30, 2013)

Don't you mean fluent?


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## ben1996123 (Oct 30, 2013)

you shoude make d background music alot quieter in the next parts


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## Rubiks560 (Oct 30, 2013)

JackJ said:


> Don't you mean fluent?



Isn't that what I said?

Edit: apparently I didn't...


ben1996123 said:


> you shoude make d background music alot quieter in the next parts



Was it loud? I thought it was really quiet.


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## ben1996123 (Oct 30, 2013)

Rubiks560 said:


> Isn't that what I said?
> 
> 
> 
> Was it loud? I thought it was really quiet.



i thought so, maby none at all would be better? cube noise is good too


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## Rubiks560 (Oct 30, 2013)

Eh. No music it sounded really dull and boring. 
I'll try some stuff for the next few.


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## That70sShowDude (Oct 30, 2013)

Rubiks560 said:


> Eh. No music it sounded really dull and boring.
> I'll try some stuff for the next few.



Just posting to say I'm a fan of the music (and volume).


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## Mikel (Oct 30, 2013)

Rubiks560 said:


> Eh. No music it sounded really dull and boring.
> I'll try some stuff for the next few.



You should add Miley in your next video.


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## BaconCuber (Oct 30, 2013)

Mikel said:


> You should add Miley in your next video.


Well, he would if he would like a permanent ban/deleted account on YouTube.


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## Rubiks560 (Oct 30, 2013)

That70sShowDude said:


> Just posting to say I'm a fan of the music (and volume).



Did you download the song?


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## kcl (Oct 30, 2013)

BaconCuber said:


> Well, he would if he would like a permanent ban/deleted account on YouTube.



Miley stuff was in his road to sub 2 video.. :O
Definitely the move of a nub


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## mark49152 (Oct 30, 2013)

Great tips, thanks Chris.


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## Sebastien (Oct 30, 2013)

I'd say the most important thing for Ortega is:

1. Inspect what your bottom face will be like.
2. Inspect your OLL.

I wonder why you didn't mention both points at all. "Know where your block will be" addresses the first point but is a rather unnecessary restriction.


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## kcl (Oct 30, 2013)

Sebastien said:


> I'd say the most important thing for Ortega is:
> 
> 1. Inspect what your bottom face will be like.
> 2. Inspect your OLL.
> ...



Generally by the time people can actually see ahead to OLL, they've moved on to CLL. Knowing where the block is is actually the same thing, but helps you rotate less.


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## Sebastien (Oct 30, 2013)

kclejeune said:


> Generally by the time people can actually see ahead to OLL, they've moved on to CLL.



That's a random and in my opinion false assumption. Looking ahead to OLL is really easy for the vast majority of 2x2x2 faces. People just don't do it for no good reason. I've used Ortega like this for about 2 years before I bothered dealing with CLL.



kclejeune said:


> Knowing where the block is is actually the same thing, but helps you rotate less.



How could that be the same? Not every face has a block. Saying "Just know what your bottom face is like" is very obviously the more general and more useful advise.


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## kcl (Oct 30, 2013)

Sebastien said:


> That's a random and in my opinion false assumption. Looking ahead to OLL is really easy for the vast majority of 2x2x2 faces. People just don't do it for no good reason. I've used Ortega like this for about 2 years before I bothered dealing with CLL.
> 
> 
> 
> How could that be the same? Not every face has a block. Saying "Just know what your bottom face is like" is very obviously the more general and more useful advise.



No. Not every face does. If you don't have a block, all you need to know is it the layer is solved or not. I'm sub 4 with Ortega, and moved onto CLL even though I can 2look almost every time.


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## Sebastien (Oct 30, 2013)

kclejeune said:


> I'm sub 4 with Ortega, and moved onto CLL even though I can 2look almost every time.



See, even you could predict OLL before switching to CLL.


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## Rubiks560 (Oct 30, 2013)

Sebastien said:


> I'd say the most important thing for Ortega is:
> 
> 1. Inspect what your bottom face will be like.
> 2. Inspect your OLL.
> ...



By "predicting where your bar will be" I basically meant figure out what type of face you will have. I just figured it would be common sense to understand that.

As for OLL, I didn't mention that because I know almost no one who can predict OLL while trying to be sub 5/4. So I saved that tip for sub 3. 

Also, I'm kinda making these based on what I went through. I didn't learn to one look till I averaged like 3 flat.
That doesn't mean you can't learn it earlier, but if you want to be sub 5/4 you can easily do it without one look.


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## AmazingCuber (Oct 30, 2013)

Chris, I think the video was great! I am into videography too, and I thought that the video was well done! Somehow though, I know the music really well, where is it from?


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## Rubiks560 (Oct 30, 2013)

AmazingCuber said:


> Chris, I think the video was great! I am into videography too, and I thought that the video was well done! Somehow though, I know the music really well, where is it from?



I'm actually not sure where you would know it from. It's a song my friend made. Perhaps you heard. It in one of my older videos?


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## AmazingCuber (Oct 30, 2013)

Rubiks560 said:


> I'm actually not sure where you would know it from. It's a song my friend made. Perhaps you heard. It in one of my older videos?



Oh yes, your PLL execution video!!!


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## Sebastien (Oct 30, 2013)

Rubiks560 said:


> By "predicting where your bar will be" I basically meant figure out what type of face you will have. I just figured it would be common sense to understand that.



That's clear for me, but might not be for someone trying to be sub5.



Rubiks560 said:


> As for OLL, I didn't mention that because I know almost no one who can predict OLL while trying to be sub 5/4. So I saved that tip for sub 3.



In my opinion predicting OLL is incredibely easy. But maybe I'm just "almost no one" and I feel we shouldn't discuss more about that. 

sub3 and still talking about "OLL"? Well, I'll just wait for the video.


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## Rubiks560 (Oct 30, 2013)

Well, not talking about OLL, but talking about how to one look your solves.


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## kcl (Oct 30, 2013)

Sebastien said:


> See, even you could predict OLL before switching to CLL.



Yes, but I'm in the process of learning CLL now.

Anyway, didn't mean to start a war here. Back OT. Awesome stuff Chris, these will help me a lot once I finish CLL.


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## Sebastien (Oct 30, 2013)

But this ia again a completely different thing and way harder then just figuring out OLL. You can't tell me that predicting OLL is as hard as predicting CLL in your opinion.


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## Rubiks560 (Oct 30, 2013)

I will give you that. But, most people can't even one look the OLL. and it doesn't seem *that* much harder to add CLL on top of it. But then again, I've been doing this for ages  I just remember my problem was not even being able to figure out the OLL and once I could do that adding CLL wasn't hard.

Edit: maybe I'm the nub here who wasn't capable of doing this and everyone else is XD


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## Rubiks560 (Nov 8, 2013)

How to be sub 3 has been added to original post.


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## ScottTheCuber (Nov 8, 2013)

Bump. Saving this for later!


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## Rubiks560 (Dec 16, 2013)

How to be sub 2.5 added to the original post.


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## Randomno (Dec 21, 2013)

Can you do sub-15 and sub-10 or will I have to look somewhere else?


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## Genesis (Dec 21, 2013)

Randomno said:


> Can you do sub-15 and sub-10 or will I have to look somewhere else?


Theres no help required for sub 10 if you have a decent 2x2, other than a self help knkwn as practicing


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## Randomno (Dec 21, 2013)

Genesis said:


> Theres no help required for sub 10 if you have a decent 2x2, other than a self help knkwn as practicing



There's a bit more than that.


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## kcl (Dec 21, 2013)

Randomno said:


> There's a bit more than that.



Not really.. Make a layer, solve LL like CFOP. J perm for adjacent corner swap PLL, Y perm for diagonal.


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## Rubiks560 (Dec 21, 2013)

There really isn't any advice for getting sub 10/15. My first ever solve was a 12. All you have to do is learn LBL and then solve.


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## Randomno (Dec 22, 2013)

kclejeune said:


> Not really.. Make a layer, solve LL like CFOP. J perm for adjacent corner swap PLL, Y perm for diagonal.



I know _how_ to solve it but not how to execute it quickly. I can do sub-10 but not too often.


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## brian724080 (Dec 22, 2013)

Randomno said:


> I know _how_ to solve it but not how to execute it quickly. I can do sub-10 but not too often.



Plan out as much as you can for the layer during the inspection time. Learn a good way to recognize your OCLLs and CPLLs really fast, assuming you use LBL. If you don't have good finger-tricks, you should learn some for the 2x2 because it is rather different from the 3x3. If you can't find anything useful, take a look at how fast speedcubers execute their algorithms as you may find some interesting finger-tricks. This one is very good and I find most, if not all of the finger-tricks fairly decent: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cE-JD9rqN7c. You can take a look at Chris' videos for some inspiration too: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRZHt_6umybxLek429d2OWo9PzInbzsWF. Since you stated that you know how to do it, I assume that you are very familiar with how the pieces of the cube move around, so the links I've provided are for finger-tricks only to assist you with turning.

In addition, I don't agree with Chris with his sub-5/sub-4 video. I was barely sub-5 with Ortega and I've been practicing for quite a long time. I took some time to learn all the CLLs and my first Ao12 was sub-5, I guess this only works because I'm good at memorizing things.


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## Rubiks560 (Jan 19, 2014)

How to be sub 2.3 and beyond added to the original post.


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## What37 (Jan 27, 2014)

*Struggle*

I seem to get a 12 sub of 2x2 even though I've been cubing for a year, I learned now I am struggling, please help, also with 3x3


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## kcl (Jan 27, 2014)

What37 said:


> I seem to get a 12 sub of 2x2 even though I've been cubing for a year, I learned now I am struggling, please help, also with 3x3



1. Learn Ortega or LBL 
2. Spam TPS
3. Learn algs


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## tx789 (Jan 27, 2014)

kclejeune said:


> 1. Learn Ortega or LBL
> 2. Spam TPS
> 3. Learn algs



or Learn Ortega or LBL
Lookahead and learn algs


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## KingTim96 (Jan 27, 2014)

Hey i have a question for the faster 2x2ers out there. How would you solve for the white layer with this scramble? I'm looking for a lower-movecount solution other than what i do right now. Thanks in advance

scramble: R U R' B U' B' 

Moves i would do: R U R U2 R' U' R U R' (or i would do) R' y' U' R U2 R' U' R U R'

If there is a trick/cheat/easier way that i dont know about, please let me know! thanks again!


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## Ronxu (Jan 27, 2014)

KingTim96 said:


> Hey i have a question for the faster 2x2ers out there. How would you solve for the white layer with this scramble? I'm looking for a lower-movecount solution other than what i do right now. Thanks in advance
> 
> scramble: R U R' B U' B'
> 
> ...



F R F' R U' R'


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## kcl (Jan 27, 2014)

KingTim96 said:


> Hey i have a question for the faster 2x2ers out there. How would you solve for the white layer with this scramble? I'm looking for a lower-movecount solution other than what i do right now. Thanks in advance
> 
> scramble: R U R' B U' B'
> 
> ...



Woah. Stop. CN bro. You see that big block? Use it. Try orange. You get a OLL skip if you do it right. Second, use 3 gen scrambles. Idk how B moves ended up in a 2x2 scramble. 

However, I will answer the question. I would solve white like this:

x2 y2 L F' L U L' 'U L


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## Ronxu (Jan 27, 2014)

kclejeune said:


> Woah. Stop. CN bro. You see that big block? Use it. Try orange. You get a OLL skip if you do it right. Second, use 3 gen scrambles. Idk how B moves ended up in a 2x2 scramble.
> 
> However, I will answer the question. I would solve white like this:
> 
> x2 y2 L F' L U L' 'U L



It's not a real scramble. He's just setting up a case.


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## scottishcuber (Jan 27, 2014)

Maybe he was just setting up the case.


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## KingTim96 (Jan 27, 2014)

I was setting up a case, sorry that i didnt specify that.


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## KingTim96 (Jan 27, 2014)

Ronxu said:


> F R F' R U' R'



Thank you very much!!


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