# Speed or efficiency? What to train?



## szalejot (Jan 1, 2014)

At the moment my level at 3BLD is that during slower solves, with longer memo and slower algs execution, I have around 80% efficiency and times around 3:30-4:00.
I also can try to rush memo (without review and repetition) and try to have higher TPS. Then I have times around 2:00-2:30, but efficiency around 20%. (Most of DNFs are because of bad corner/edge orientation (but in good place) or by setup miss-aligned: when I try to rush TPS blindfolded sometimes I am doing for example R U instead of R2 U).

I am using letter pairs for edges and syllables for corners. OP for corners and M2 for edges.

What should I stress more, to have faster times with high efficiency?
Should I train slower safer solves and try to get faster step by step?
Or should I try to push myself to speed limits, to get comfortable with that speed and after some time efficiency will grow naturally?

I please more experienced BLD cubers for advice, now I have now idea which path I should take during my BLD training.


----------



## tseitsei (Jan 1, 2014)

szalejot said:


> At the moment my level at 3BLD is that during slower solves, with longer memo and slower algs execution, I have around 80% efficiency and times around 3:30-4:00.
> I also can try to rush memo (without review and repetition) and try to have higher TPS. Then I have times around 2:00-2:30, but efficiency around 20%. (Most of DNFs are because of bad corner/edge orientation (but in good place) or by setup miss-aligned: when I try to rush TPS blindfolded sometimes I am doing for example R U instead of R2 U).
> 
> I am using letter pairs for edges and syllables for corners. OP for corners and M2 for edges.
> ...



I would say pushing memo always really helps you to get faster and you should practise those. Nowadays I do about half of my training quite safe solves and half rushing memo and trying to get faster.

Also I think you shouldn't rush TPS, but instead try to rush memo and/or execute without pauses sub-50 and even sub-40 execution can be done with really slow tps if you just don't have pauses. TPS will kind of come automatically after that.

And if you are going to take bld more seriously I recommend you switch to bh/comms for corners as early as possible, because the earlier you switch more familiar you will become with each case.


----------



## szalejot (Jan 1, 2014)

tseitsei said:


> And if you are going to take bld more seriously I recommend you switch to bh/comms for corners as early as possible, because the earlier you switch more familiar you will become with each case.



I want to move to comms for corners, but now I do not have much time for cubing (full time job + external studies). But I should finish studies in June and then start learning comms.


----------



## Angel Lim (Jan 1, 2014)

Focus on memo. Push it during the "memo phase" a little bit each day, and concentrate really hard on having no pauses during exe. The rest generally follows.


----------



## Riley (Jan 2, 2014)

Angel Lim said:


> Focus on memo. Push it during the "memo phase" a little bit each day, and concentrate really hard on having no pauses during exe. The rest generally follows.



tl;dr - #yoloswag


----------



## bryanphillips (Feb 7, 2014)

Accordingly you should train slower safer solves then try to get faster.


----------



## cmhardw (Feb 7, 2014)

When I was at my fastest in BLD I was actively memorizing using the lession that I learned from this exercise. I would strongly recommend to give that a shot and see if it works for you. It did wonders for my 5x5x5BLD times and took me from about 15-16 minutes on average to about 12-13 minutes on average.


----------

