# When you are solving a 3x3x3 with two hands, how do you do U/U'?



## Robert-Y (Oct 12, 2010)

I was curious as to how most people do U/U' ever since Rowan pointed out to me a few days ago that I keep my index fingers (completely) straight when I do U/U' and sorta thought to myself: "I wonder how weird that is..." 

EDIT: Sorry!

I'm sorry, I messed up the poll.

When I typed "straight index pull", I meant that your index finger starts off straight and also ends straight.

When I typed "curled index pull", I meant that your index finger ends curled (starting position doesn't matter to me).

So "A mixture of both of the above" now means something else :/

I would like to start this poll again without making another thread but I don't know how :/


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## hawkmp4 (Oct 12, 2010)

I do it by curling my index finger. All three of my knuckles move when I do it.


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## bluedasher (Oct 12, 2010)

hard to describe how I do U/U'. I do it with a bend to my index fingers as do most people. Just watch a fingertrick tutorial.


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## Anthony (Oct 12, 2010)

bluedasher said:


> hard to describe how I do U/U'. I do it with a bend to my index fingers as do most people. Just watch a fingertrick tutorial.


 
Yeah, Robert. Go check out a tutorial, noob.


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## Escher (Oct 12, 2010)

Mostly a bend at the 1st knuckle from the main for either hand. Occasionally in some algs I like to use LH index finger push on LBU corner for U and vice versa xD


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## oprah62 (Oct 12, 2010)

I usually curl at first knuckle, but if I find myself in an awkward position in f2l, I will push with my straight finger at the back corner. Like how I do in OH.


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## Cool Frog (Oct 12, 2010)

I let go and Regrip the cube. 


Spoiler



My finger flicks like a centimeter, curled finger. My finger is 1/3 larger than the cube.


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## JonnyWhoopes (Oct 12, 2010)

Robert-Y said:


> I keep my index fingers (completely) straight when I do U/U'


 
This. Exactly. I just tried to make myself do it the other way, and I can't. Haha.


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## Ranzha (Oct 12, 2010)

It starts straight, but ends curled.


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## TheMachanga (Oct 12, 2010)

Ranzha V. Emodrach said:


> It starts straight, but ends curled.


 
This. Is this considered straight?


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## Joker (Oct 12, 2010)

Same as the post above mine.

I voted mix.


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## JonnyWhoopes (Oct 12, 2010)

TheMachanga said:


> [Darn the lack of quote trees!]This. Is this considered straight?


 



The Poll said:


> A mixture of both of the above


AKA both curled and straight. =)

EDIT: Partial ninja'd.


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## Robert-Y (Oct 12, 2010)

I'm sorry, I messed up the poll.

When I typed "straight index pull", I meant that your index finger starts off straight and also ends straight.

When I typed "curled index pull", I meant that your index finger ends curled (starting position doesn't matter to me).

So "A mixture of both of the above" now means something else :/

Sorry, I would like to start this poll again without making another thread but I don't know how :/


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## deathbypapercutz (Oct 12, 2010)

I used to keep my index finger straight, but switched to curling it in most cases since I think that's a bit faster for me. For some algs (like the RUF J-perm), though, I still keep it straight.

[EDIT: Yeah, I do one or the other depending on the case, and that's why I voted "mixture of both."]

For AUFs before PLL, sometimes I'll do U' with my right thumb. Certain people have told me I look stupid doing that. Does anybody else do that?


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## Weston (Oct 12, 2010)

Escher said:


> Occasionally in some algs I like to use LH index finger push on LBU corner for U and vice versa xD


 I do this too. This is where my old OH fingertricks still come in handy.


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## Robert-Y (Oct 12, 2010)

I do something "similar". A lot of the time on a 4x4x4, I do U by pulling the Bru sticker with my right index finger and pushing the Flu sticker with my left thumb to reduce my rate of locky Us. (Yeah my turning isn't that great on big and bigger cubes)


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## emolover (Oct 12, 2010)

When I do a normal U, I have my first finger curved. But when I amdoing a U', I almost always use my thumb to push it back. But sometimes when im doing a PLL I use my left first finger and its curved.


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## frogmanson (Oct 12, 2010)

Sometimes it's curled, sometimes it's straight I can't tell. I do a lot of thumbing as well. I do a lot of "OH moves" with L and R hand (since I'm sub 20 with LH and sub like 35 with RH). Also I do that one fingertrick Erik does for his L perm.


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## Cyrus C. (Oct 12, 2010)

I usually do it with a curl. However, sometimes I do it the way a Left OH solver would, usually during U perms.


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## riffz (Oct 12, 2010)

Escher said:


> Mostly a bend at the 1st knuckle from the main for either hand. Occasionally in some algs I like to use LH index finger push on LBU corner for U and vice versa xD


 
yup.


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## dimwmuni (Oct 12, 2010)

I normally do a U with my index finger from straight to curled but in some cases if there is a U2 in an algorithm and my right hand is in a weird position I will do a U' with my thumb followed by a U' with my left index finger.


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## DavidWoner (Oct 12, 2010)

Weston said:


> Escher said:
> 
> 
> > Mostly a bend at the 1st knuckle from the main for either hand. Occasionally in some algs I like to use LH index finger push on LBU corner for U and vice versa xD
> ...


 
Yeah this. When I do <M,U> all of the U moves are done with my left index, and all my M moves are done with right middle and ring.


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## keemy (Oct 12, 2010)

For pulls always curled index (U with RH and U' with left)
but often my hand may be in a weird position and I want to avoid regrips, like if I just did an L' and I need to do a U' I might push with right index, like in T perm for example.


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## y3k9 (Oct 12, 2010)

Well, see sometimes when I'm using U a lot I use my middle finger.


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## RyanO (Oct 12, 2010)

I do U by curling my right index finger. I do U' by flicking with my left index finger straight. I think this evolved from finding it more comfortable to do the U2' double trigger with a straight flicking motion of index and middle fingers. When I hold the cube my right hand is horizontal while my left is halfway between horizontal and vertical.


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## ~Adam~ (Oct 12, 2010)

I do most of my Us with my left thumb. I should probably work harder to do them with my right index but I haven't gotten around to it.


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## RyanO (Oct 12, 2010)

cube-o-holic said:


> I do most of my Us with my left thumb. I should probably work harder to do them with my right index but I haven't gotten around to it.


 
This seems odd to me. How do you do your U's? Are you left handed?


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## ~Adam~ (Oct 12, 2010)

I'm ambidextrous but write with my right. U's with my left index.
U2s with my left index followed by middle.


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## Anthony (Oct 12, 2010)

cube-o-holic said:


> I do most of my Us with my left thumb. I should probably work harder to do them with my right index but I haven't gotten around to it.


 
Take my advice and listen to Tyson's. Just do it "normally" with your index.


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## ~Adam~ (Oct 12, 2010)

I've always planned on changing my style but the guy on the right is doing almost nothing with his left hand. I spread the work between my 2 hands.


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## Erik (Oct 12, 2010)

Robert: I noticed this difference too, the funny thing is that I mostly see Asian (sometimes living in foreign countries) cubers do it with the straight finger. A good example is Macky I think maybe even the most extreme example. Personally when I start it my fingers (index) are not even completely straight, I guess it is more relaxed to do it this way, straight always seems a bit 'forced' and unnatural to me.
Of course there are other fingers used for U turns sometimes but lets not go into those.


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## Dene (Oct 12, 2010)

Anthony said:


> bluedasher said:
> 
> 
> > hard to describe how I do U/U'. I do it with a bend to my index fingers as do most people. Just watch a fingertrick tutorial.
> ...


 
Lololololol



cube-o-holic said:


> I've always planned on changing my style but the guy on the right is doing almost nothing with his left hand. I spread the work between my 2 hands.


 
Ahahahahaha


This thread is so full of noob.


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## Andreaillest (Oct 12, 2010)

I curl my index finger. I'm actually surprised that some people keep it straight. Curling seems like a natural response when doing U U'.


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## Lorken (Oct 12, 2010)

I did it a few times, it was straight-ish so I voted straight, but then after repeating it a few times, getting used to it, it ends up curled


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## Anonymous (Oct 12, 2010)

I usually do U with my right index, and it ends up curled. Sometimes, though, to avoid regrips, I use my left hand, although instead of pushing LBU, I pull FLU backwards. 
For U', I use my left index, or my right thumb, depending. Whenever I use my index, though, it always ends curved.


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## eastamazonantidote (Oct 12, 2010)

Depends on what just happened or it about to happen. Straight does have its uses for awkward hand positioning but I have a slight curl most of the time.


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## Robert-Y (Oct 12, 2010)

I know this looks like I'm trying to promote my channel however... 






I've only just realised that I've got a strange mixture of U/U' turning styles on a 4x4x4 (and possibly for bigger cubes...)


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## DavidWoner (Oct 12, 2010)

Yeah your bigcube turning style has always looked crazy to me. For a while I thought it was the secret to how you got such fast 3x3phase times on your former ER avg.


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## Robert-Y (Oct 12, 2010)

Off topic: Ah but it doesn't compare to.... 



...KAZUHITO IIMURA SQ-1 TURNING STYLE!


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## cmhardw (Oct 12, 2010)

I mostly use a straight index finger pull. My second knuckle bends very slightly, but the overall motion is like I am wagging my index finger such as to say "no."

Chris


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## Robert-Y (Oct 12, 2010)

Chris: Could you please embed a video of you solving a 3x3x3 slowly and also possibly a 4x4x4 from your angle please? I've noticed that your 4x4x4 "standard" grip is similar to mine . 

I was thinking that maybe my turning style came from watching a lot of cubing videos a few years ago from my cubing heroes . Then I thought maybe I turn like how I turn because my nails are normally long and I can't be bothered to cut them because I'm usually too lazy, so I try to avoid damaging my stickers. Right now, I'm not sure.

To me, it sorta seems like this: The more older cubers (as in their cubing age not their actual age) have more weirder turning styles than younger cubers.


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## MagicYio (Oct 13, 2010)

Curled feels more natural to me. And cubing is the motivation for me to cut my nails.


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## cmhardw (Oct 14, 2010)

Robert-Y said:


> Chris: Could you please embed a video of you solving a 3x3x3 slowly and also possibly a 4x4x4 from your angle please? I've noticed that your 4x4x4 "standard" grip is similar to mine .



Hey Robert, I'll certainly give it a shot. I believe I can hunt down an old webcam that I have, but I don't know how well it shoots video. If it has a poor frame rate I'll just do some super slow triggers showing my grip if nothing else.



Robert-Y said:


> I was thinking that maybe my turning style came from watching a lot of cubing videos a few years ago from my cubing heroes . Then I thought maybe I turn like how I turn because my nails are normally long and I can't be bothered to cut them because I'm usually too lazy, so I try to avoid damaging my stickers. Right now, I'm not sure.
> 
> To me, it sorta seems like this: The more older cubers (as in their cubing age not their actual age) have more weirder turning styles than younger cubers.


 
My turning style is heavily influenced by Dan Knights, who was my cubing idol back when I first started (still is). The funny thing is, is that Dan abandoned his style to work on learning a more "modern" style, and it has apparently worked well for him. I'm still having issues unlearning the old and re-learning a more "modern" style. I've gotten better at it, and just in paying attention to changing my style I have finally gotten my first ever sub-15 mean of 100 about 6-8 months ago. However, as Erik Akkersdijk told me at Worlds 2009 not 5 turns into one of my speedsolves: "Dude, you have a really weird style!" 

Chris


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## ElectricDoodie (Oct 14, 2010)

I kind of reach for the corner piece, and curl my finger down to pull it. So, I don't know which one that fits into.

And Chris, you're from Florida?! Whoa... 
Your website is what got me into speedcubing. I'm starstruck.
I never realized that you live in the same state as me. Sweet.


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## qqwref (Oct 14, 2010)

Pretty much curled index pull.

I used to almost exclusively use my right hand... which means a lot of thumb pulls, and the occasional index pull in the other direction (FUR->RBU). I've been using left index for U' for a while though.


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## cmhardw (Oct 14, 2010)

ElectricDoodie said:


> I kind of reach for the corner piece, and curl my finger down to pull it. So, I don't know which one that fits into.
> 
> And Chris, you're from Florida?! Whoa...
> Your website is what got me into speedcubing. I'm starstruck.
> I never realized that you live in the same state as me. Sweet.


 
Glad you found the website helpful! As far as Florida cubing goes, I'm working (slowly) on getting a competition going down here at the school I teach at. I've already got a club formed, and there is a terrific venue here. I have a number of things going on that are taking up my time, but once things begin to calm down I will work hard at getting something going. I'm shooting for something next year before the World Championships. If you're interested, let me know and I'll keep you informed!

Chris


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## cyoubx (Oct 14, 2010)

*Curl index for 3x3*
Combination of straight and curl index for bigger cubes (sometimes thumb as well)


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