Have you ever wanted to start cubing? Or wanted to help your friend to do so, but were not able to do it? Well, you have come to the right place. In this blog, you will be able to find the right things to do to start your career with cubing and how to stay motivated.
How to Start?
First things first, you need to know which event to start with. Many people think the best event to start with is 2x2 because it is easier but, it is not true. The first event you have to learn is 3x3. Starting with 3x3 will help in building your fundamentals and efficiency. This in turn will help with your understanding of Rubik’s Cubes and how they actually work.
The next thing you need is a cube. There is a stereotype that states “buying a high budget and super fast cube at the start itself is better than buying a new cube for different stages” which many people believe. But often, this is not true. Using a budget-friendly and basic cube in the beginning will help you with your turning and finger tricks.
What Method to Use?
For beginners, it is best recommended to start with the ‘Beginners Method’, as the name suggests. You can use and master this method until you are sub-40 or close so that it will help you with your fundamentals and you will be well aware of the cube.
3x3 Beginners Method
Later on, you can go ahead with CFOP or Roux (whichever you want, but CFOP is widely used and by world-class cubers as well). Other methods like ZZ and Petrus are often not recommended for ‘speedcubing’.
Where to Start?
This is quite the question that every beginner gets. You have a lot of tutorials on YouTube to solve a 3x3 like Cubelelo’s How to Solve a 3x3 Rubik's Cube (in English) or if you want in Hindi, then How to solve 3x3 Cube | Hindi Tutorial.
3x3 Beginners Method Tutorial
But not everyone can learn to solve a cube through YouTube, not everyone can understand it. In such situations, you can opt for an online 1-1 training session like Cubelelo CubeXprt. You can take up the private training session and learn from any one of the CubeXprt. These trainers are National level cubers with great achievements so it will totally be helpful.
Cubelelo CubeXprt
Where to Buy Your Cubes?
The cubes which are available at your local stores or fairs are not good enough for speedcubing or cubing, just for the fact. The best place to buy cubes is online. For many people, ordering online may mean ordering on Amazon. But, the best place to order cubes online is Cubelelo. You will get them for reasonable prices, fast shipping, and great customer support as well. You can also use any discount codes like 'SSM50' and get ₹50 off Or use 'WELCOME100' to get ₹100 off if you're ordering for the first time.
What to buy?
For beginners, I would recommend the Yuxin Little Magic 3x3 (5.6 USD), a non-magnetic cube. This is the best way to start because non-magnetic cubes will help in perfecting your turning style and make it fluent. After a few weeks of using this cube, say after getting sub-40secs or so, it is time to switch to a new magnetic cube. I’d highly recommend the MoYu RS3M 2020 3x3 (10 USD). In fact, you can use this cube until you are sub-20s (even sub-15s). Such cubes can last up to 2yrs if maintained properly. Maintaining means cleaning it regularly and lubricating it. For cleaning, you can disassemble the cube and use a regular towel or a tissue to clean the parts. For lubricating, you can buy lubes from Cubelelo, which is for a different blog. And also, I’d only recommend stickerless cubes over stickered ones because they are easier to maintain and you won’t have the need to resticker the cubes when the stickers wear off.
How to Stay Motivated?
After being into cubing for a few weeks, some of them will lose motivation. This is mostly due to lack of improvement or they are just bored. The goal to improve is not just grinding or doing solves, but to improve your efficiency and develop good habits. For example, for turning the top layer 2 times, instead of using the same finger twice to turn it, you can use your index finger to do the first turn and then followed by your middle finger to do the second. Simple tricks like this will help improve. You can find more tips and tricks on YouTube or opt for Cubelelo CubeXprt Solve Analysis for a more in-depth review.
Another reason is because of getting bored. This is mainly because you may be practicing only one event, that is 3x3. It is better to start other events like 2x2 and Big cubes (4x4-7x7). Or if you want to start off with smaller cubes then better go with 2x2 and Pyraminx or Skewb. The best-recommended order is to go with 2x2 and 4x4, and later on with pyraminx. For 2x2 and big cubes, I’d highly recommend the MGC line of cubes. Practicing other events will, in fact, help in improvement as well.
MGC Big Cubes
Conclusion:
You now know everything that is needed to start your cubing career. If you have any other doubts you can ask in the comments section and I will make sure to answer them. All the best for your journey!
About Author
Saseeth Srilok Majeti
Saseeth Srilok Majeti is currently Top 12 in India for 3x3 One-Handed (Average). He started cubing when he was 12 and he has an overall competitive experience of 2 years. His main events are 3x3, 4x4, and 3x3 OH. His hobbies are YouCubing, which includes spreading awareness about cubing, and Cube Photography. He has participated in 4 competitions and won 3 podiums with 1 Bronze and 2 Silver medals.
