Here’s a quick follow-up to my C-Shape OLL tutorial, this one focussed on the “Frying Pan” OLLs (##53-54). Why “Frying Pan”? I have no idea. Leave a comment if you know.
I filmed this at the same time as the C-Shape one, trying to squeeze in as much production before my wrist surgery. It follows the same multi-cam approach:
My Two-Look OLL post inspired me to keep pushing along with learning more OLLs. I had started learning the C-shapes (##34 and 46), but got distracted when I couldn’t find a decent flow for the latter. Now, I finally found an alternate algorithm for it.
OLL #34
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OLL #46
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Here’s a video tutorial, followed by further explanation:
I’ve wanted to make this Two-Look OLL tutorial for a while, and finally found the time. Although the video embedded below is comprehensive (read: long) and should stand alone, this post’s further background and table of algorithms should help with learning/practice.
The third-step in 3×3 solving under the CFOP/Fridrich Method is OLL (Orient Last Layer). By the OLL stage, with the Cross and F2L complete, the bottom face and first two layers will be solved. The goal of OLL is to orient the up face stickers (generally yellow for white-on-bottom solvers so that all are facing up and none are facing “out.”
There are 57 possible cases/states at the OLL stage, too many for most cubers to learn/remember all solutions. (Two years in, and I know only about 30 of them….) Two-Look OLL is designed to lighten the burden by breaking OLL into two steps. The first step (or “look”) of Two-Look OLL is to orient the four edges, forming a yellow cross or plus-sign (ignoring the edges). The second “look” orients the four corners so that yellow faces up, completing the top face. The center cubie is, of course, fixed and can never be “un-oriented.” As the Speedsolving Wiki summarizes:
[Y]ou do not need to know all 57 OLLs to use 2-look OLL, rather the system is divided up. By first orienting the edges (3 cases), then orienting the corners (7 cases), orientation of all pieces on the last layer is completed.
I think we all can agree that 10 cases is better than 57!?! Here’s a video teaching and contextualizing them:
Following up on my V Perm post, I thought I’d give another go at doing a multi-cam of a couple other long PLLs — the two Rs:
Over the past month or so, I’ve been trying to eliminate U2’ from most algorithms that call for a double-U turn. When I first began cubing, I realized the exact equivalence between a U2 and a U2’ in terms of the position of the cubies. What I didn’t realize was that U2’, in most cases, is more awkward than U2 and often leaves hand/finger positions incompatible with more efficient finger tricks. Also, now that I do double-U flicks with my right hand (while struggling to do double U’ flicks with my left), it’s just a lot slower to do U2’.
This video (and the chart below it) shows that I’ve replaced U2’ in most algorithms, but have purposely left it as U2’ in a couple others:
adventures in cubing 