# Fridrich F2L: Going Slow and Looking Ahead (Tutorial)



## PCwizCube (Aug 31, 2009)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfE7jYOXbgg

I've made a tutorial on going slow and looking ahead. It shows/proves how important looking ahead is and how it helps, and tips on how to practice getting better at it.

This tutorial is mainly directed for people who's Cross + F2L is around 15-25 seconds, for those who have been trying to improve in Fridrich F2L but have gotten "stuck." I know that many of the information I talk about in this video is obvious, but since "newest cubers these days seem to be getting younger, less patient, and less respectful (Michael Gottlieb)" and won't understand if someone just simply tells them to "look ahead," I think this video will be helpful to those people.

You will usually see some person who knows Fridrich F2L and is stuck. They ask how to get faster and usually someone tells them to look ahead. In my opinion, that is very vauge. Evne if you explain that while you're solving one pair you should be looking at the next, I feel that it's still not specific enough. People probably will think that won't help them at all and will not do it. This is why I have gone into greater detail explaining looking ahead, and giving some example solves on not looking ahead and looking ahead.

I also think people won't know how important it is. You could say several how important it is, and they might _think_ they believe it is important, but they truly do not know how important going slow and looking ahead is. I feel that it is very helpful if the person is shown and also proven how good going slow and looking ahead can be.

So I'm trying to tell experienced cubers that this tutorial is not totally pointless, as it is mainly only directed for people who have not or have barely heard about looking ahead, and I think this is a perfect tutorial from them.

I have a few people who have seen this tutorial already (mainly people's who's F2L is 20-25 seconds), and they have responded with positive feedback (not only in the comments). So I believe this video will be helpful to people, and it has been proven, so I would appreciate it if you do not call this tutorial a piece of junk. 
*
Description:*
This is a tutorial on Going Slow and Looking Ahead in the F2L part of the Fridrich method. In this tutorial, I will talk about what Looking Ahead exactly is, how it's useful, and how to practice getting better at it.

Looking Ahead in F2L is one of the most important techniques in getting faster at the First Two Layers. In order to average under 20 seconds, it is imperative that you become very good at this skill. It will still help you in reaching sub 15 seconds times and even faster than that too. I cannot stress enough how important Going Slow and Looking Ahead will help you.

It is recommended that you average under 25 seconds for your F2L (F2L + Cross) before you attempt learning about Looking Ahead. If your F2L isn't under 25 seconds it really shouldn't be hard to get to that speed with some practice. I would also highly recommend looking at Badmephisto's F2L videos, even if you already average under 25 seconds for F2L. He talks about very important basic tips in getting faster at F2L that is definetly worth watching.

Badmephisto's F2L videos:

Advanced F2L Techniques: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhRnLpvGkXE
Tips for practicing F2L: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnkSZZ6OoQ4
My thought process while doing F2L - One step stop: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzkHrz8x2eo
My thought process while solving the cube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNQhD_Ai9bwe
Other Looking Ahead Advice:

Dan Knights (bottom of page): http://www.csel.cs.colorado.edu/~knightsd/
Macky: http://www.cubefreak.net/Fridrich/F2L.html
Online Metronome:
http://www.metronomeonline.com/
---------------------------------------- -----------------------------

I. Introduction: 0:01 - 1:30

II. What makes your F2L slow (pauses) 1:30 - 2:39
A. Example F2L solve: 1:59 - 2:39

III. Slower w/ fewer pauses is better: 3:09 - 5:05
A. Proof: 3:45
1. Fast solve with lots of pauses: 3:55 - 4:25
2. Slow solve with few pauses: 4:25 - 5:05

IV. How to Look Ahead: 5:05 - 6:16
A. Looking Ahead explanation: 5:20-5:27
1. Example F2L solve: 5:27 - 6:16

V. Practicing Looking Ahead: 6:16 - 9:22
A. Dan Knight's Advice: 6:16 - 7:44
1. Quote: 6:26
2. Example F2L solve: 6:39 - 7:44
B. Metronome: 7:44 - 9:22
1. Example F2L Solve: 8:30 - 9:03

VI. Conclusion: 9:22
A. Looking Ahead Summary: 9:32 - 9:56
B. Sites w/ Looking Ahead Tips: 10:19 - 10:26
C. Closing Comments: 10:26 - 10:38


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## ianini (Aug 31, 2009)

this helped a lot with the metronome and looking ahead
thanks


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## dbax0999 (Aug 31, 2009)

I will definitely watch this later. Thanks


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## elcarc (Aug 31, 2009)

slow turning really help. shaved about 5 seconds off my average


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## phases (Aug 31, 2009)

Definitely plan on looking at this tomorrow.


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## mr.onehanded (Aug 31, 2009)

Or you can get cct, it has a metronome that you can turn on in the settings. cct is all-around amazing.


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## badmephisto (Aug 31, 2009)

good video!
I think you should have mentioned that metronome is also available online. I never personally used the metronome, I wonder how well it works. hm hm hm hm hm.

also, all the URL links you posted here are malformed.


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## cmhardw (Aug 31, 2009)

Nice video, very well made!

Chris


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## Mr Cubism (Aug 31, 2009)

Nice done!

Lets say that the avarage (cross+F2L) is about 36 turns.
If you are really fast and make the avarage around 8 seconds,
that means 4.5 TPS. To follow the pieces with the eyes in that speed must be the most difficult challenge in the whole solve. 

I guess that, with a lot of practice, the solver can recognice and "feel" how to solve nextcomming pair, even if you for example cannot see both pieces. I think Harris Chan wrote something about this somewhere.


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## PCwizCube (Aug 31, 2009)

badmephisto said:


> good video!
> I think you should have mentioned that metronome is also available online. I never personally used the metronome, I wonder how well it works. hm hm hm hm hm.
> 
> also, all the URL links you posted here are malformed.


I thought I said that in an annotation (goes check)? Oh and I'll fix the URLs.


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## a small kitten (Aug 31, 2009)

You solved the same F2L twice in a row. It's obvious that the second one will be slightly faster than the first because you already solved it right before. You did the exact same moves in the second solve because you had knowledge of where to look for the pieces. 

The lesson you teach here makes a lot of sense and should be taken seriously by all competitive cubers but maybe it would be more realistic if you used different scrambles. Then people would know that slow turning is the stronger influence in increasing your F2L efficiency.


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## PCwizCube (Aug 31, 2009)

a small kitten said:


> You solved the same F2L twice in a row. It's obvious that the second one will be slightly faster than the first because you already solved it right before. You did the exact same moves in the second solve because you had knowledge of where to look for the pieces.
> 
> The lesson you teach here makes a lot of sense and should be taken seriously by all competitive cubers but maybe it would be more realistic if you used different scrambles. Then people would know that slow turning is the stronger influence in increasing your F2L efficiency.


I guess you have a point. But my point in those two solves wasn't that the second one was faster, but one was faster because I had fewer pauses and turned at a consistent speed. That was basically the reason why I showed those two solves, two show that looking ahead with few pauses is faster. 

And the fast solve I did it a couple of times (first video was bad) and I made a lot of pauses on purpose. The looking ahead solve I did in 8 seconds, and my turning speed in that solve wasn't as fast as my turning speed in my regular solves. If it was the first time for me solving, I could probably do it in 7 seconds or less because my Cross+F2L is around 9-10 seconds.

If I did two different solves, many inexperienced cubers would probably complain that one scramble was easier than another, even if it was obviously not. I think it's more "fair" to have the same scrambles. It's sort of like a science experiment. The same scramble and same F2L solution is the controlled variable, going slow with few pauses vs. going fast with many pauses is the manipulated variable, and the responding variable is that going slow with few pauses results in faster times.


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## PeterV (Sep 1, 2009)

Thanks for the great video. I'm practicing stopping half-way through my current pair to find the next pair and forcing myself to stare/focus on the next pair. I think this will really help lower my f2l times. Thanks!


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## Kiongku (Sep 1, 2009)

Kudos here too. Thumbs up.
This made me realise I stop too much looking around during F2L.
Hope I down my time as I start practicing it.


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## *LukeMayn* (Sep 1, 2009)

I guess I over expected your video 
haha, I guess I just need practise. I get the slots done in about 9 secs so yeah... bice links though


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## PCwizCube (Sep 1, 2009)

*LukeMayn* said:


> I guess I over expected your video
> haha, I guess I just need practise. I get the slots done in about 9 secs so yeah... bice links though


This video is mainly for people who's Cross+F2L is around 15-25 seconds... so sorry it didn't really help you that much.

I will make two more F2L videos soon for people who's Cross+F2L is 15 seconds and under. It will go over the Cross to F2L transition and other F2L Tips (X cross, edge control, F2L tricks, etc). I think the Cross to F2L transition will be very helpful to you, well at least it helps me a lot. If I have a good cross to F2L transition my Cross + F2L is like 8-9 seconds (usually 9-10), but that's just me.


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## Dimeg (Sep 2, 2009)

just started cubing and it seems pretty helpfull, i'll give this a try! turning slower but consistent is a good one!


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## Laurentius (Sep 2, 2009)

Rubik's Cube Fan said:


> *LukeMayn* said:
> 
> 
> > I guess I over expected your video
> ...


I doubt someone with a 15 sec F2L doesn't look-ahead, or doesn't know about it..


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## PCwizCube (Sep 2, 2009)

Laurentius said:


> I doubt someone with a 15 sec F2L doesn't look-ahead, or doesn't know about it..


Yes, I agree with you, almost everyone who is 15+ seconds for Cross + Fridrich F2L has heard of look ahead. But that doesn't necessarily mean they are good at it. This tutorial is designed as both a complete introduction to look ahead and also for people who use it a little but are not that good at it and need some help or a bit more understand of it.

I've seen people who average 22-23 seconds (full solve) and this video has helped them. I'm assuming their Cross + F2L is 15-17 seconds, but hey, I could be wrong.

EDIT: Wow someone got a 18 second average because this video helped them..... (Post below) I'm pretty sure their Cross + F2L is around 15 seconds, if not less. By the way to Morten it's great that I helped you. I was surprised I helped someone that was already sub 20!


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## Shortey (Sep 2, 2009)

Hey dude.

Big thanks for the tutorial. This video got me a new PB average of 5. 18.69. Non-rolling. =)

Can't wait for your other video on F2L.


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## coinman (Sep 2, 2009)

If you don't have a metronome you will find one her. www.metronomeonline.com


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## PCwizCube (Sep 3, 2009)

coinman said:


> If you don't have a metronome you will find one her. www.metronomeonline.com


Yeah, I said you could use an online metronome and I linked to that in the description. Does no one read annotations these days? 

On some of my older videos there's like 15 people asking the same question when it's already been answered in an annotation in the video, and in the video description.


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## Andreaillest (Sep 6, 2009)

Thanks for this. Hopefully in a couple a days or weeks I'll see improvement in my time.I've tried looking ahead and never completely got the jist of it.
I've been cubing for about a year and and have a roadblock average of 30 seconds or so.
Maybe this will help me get interested into cubing again.=)


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## ~Phoenix Death~ (Dec 1, 2009)

This is pretty good. =)


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## Imperatrix (Dec 1, 2009)

This tutorial is very informative! My look ahead is kinda crappy and the metronome is a neat trick!


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## cincyaviation (Jan 4, 2010)

didnt have time to watch it tonight, so, bookmarked


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## Anthony (Jan 4, 2010)

cincyaviation said:


> didnt have time to watch it tonight, so, bookmarked



Thanks for bumping the thread to let us know.


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## Zane_C (Jan 4, 2010)

I think I've seen this video before and it was very good, right after I watched it I got a 22.00 second non lucky personal best


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## fiftyniner (May 20, 2011)

old thread but worth reading!

The advice by Dan Knights on "look-ahead" in actual practice is worth its weight in gold...My F2L is very much smoother after less than a day of practice. Will time some solves this weekend.


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## Mal (Jun 10, 2011)

Thankyou for this tutorial my average has gone down! I was looking for a good tutorial on looking ahead, so Thankyou!!! It really helped!


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## Tushar (Oct 5, 2014)

You are the best.. Your video is good and it helped alot..


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