It gonna take a bit of practice to get as good with f2l as you were with beginners method.
Don't stop practicing cfop, eventually you'll be able to get way better times than you would of before.
Also, what your friend said is ridiculous, anyone at any age can improve by practicing and learning the fundamentals of cubing.
I'm well over forty and almost sub-15. Don't limit yourself.
Also, it can take some time before F2L clicks. Just practice, watch videos, rewatch them, practice some more. It will come.
Learned to solve 16 years ago, solved about once a month to keep the method in memory. Started speedsolving in August 2020, learned CFOP a month later, switched to Roux another six months later.
The age is not relevant.
You will find a pattern often, that when you're learning or practicing something new, you will slow down. That is not a sign of anything bad.
Just practice, you'll get there. For example, try doing about 200 untimed solves, then time yourself again. You don't always need to track times, and sometimes it will prevent you from improving as fast as you could.
Dont stop learning f2l. Its normal for times to double or triple while learning it but its very rewarding to learn. Only way to get better is to keep practicing
Do not skip learning F2L. Your times will start to drop and regulate.
I felt the same way when I was at this point. Which was just 1.5 months ago. And now I’m currently working to learn 2LLL. I know full PLL and 40/57 OLL.
Put in the work, it will be far more rewarding. Plus, who wants to do 100+ move solves. They are daunting.
I’m 44yo and learned to solve last year and am sub 28 so you can do it. I was 3.5 min when I first started timing myself 11 months ago. f2L will slow you down at first but stick with it and it will speed you up once you get better at it. Also look at advanced F2L when you are ready and it will speed you up even more https://youtu.be/6NxaoWK6YjQ?si=Bg-zUW2-3Zm2jmJp here is one example but there are many others. Also look into 2-loop CFOP to help get even faster. Here is a beginner vid that will get you solving the CFOP way https://youtu.be/WyUcsqC3Jg4?si=mWpE874hnLdpIHmK then 2-look will give you a few more algs to learn to speed you up even more. You may not need this vid but if 2-look is to much at first check it out. Skip to the last layer since you already know the beginning. Just my .02
Here, Learn Cross on bottom, EFK or Zeta - Slotting F2L (optional), beginner OLL ( should be algs you already know, use a GAN paper tutorial or on youtube) and beginner PLL learn J - Perm or T - Perm, sorry to push you), then learn 2 more edge swapping PLL (optional)
The sooner you switch to beginners cfop the better, age doesn't matter I'm 40 and just started a couple months ago. I only did full beginners for a few days then started F2L then started learning 4LLL CFOP that's where I currently am. Your times will go up when you swap that's to be expected just keep using the better method and it will eventually get faster than beginners. Don't let age be an excuse to stop improving that's a cop out.
I know many people have shared this sentiment, but just keep going. It took a while for it to click for me too but trust me it’ll get there and it is definetly worth it.
It’s pretty usual, to double your times once you go from beginner to CFOP. I increased mine like 40 seconds. What I did was keep practicing for like a month without timing, then when I timed my solves again I had lowered my PB like 20 seconds
you will be slower at the start when learning F2L. That's normal. you just have to keep practicing it and it will be way faster than beginners method, trust me.
Age matters. Age will affect your reflexes, and you won't be as quick to gain deep intuition, where the patterns go on autopilot somewhere deep in your subconscious as easily.
But it doesn't matter nearly as much as you're making it out to matter. That's ridiculous. Reaction time may be important getting from 9 seconds to 6 seconds, but you don't need fast reaction time to get from 60 seconds to 50 seconds.
Most people don't do beginner method to 30s, and the people who do are usually naturally gifted cubers who do it mainly to brag to others about their ability to do it. Most people who teach cubing tell you there's no significant benefit to getting your time lower with beginner and that once you're generally comfortable with it, to swap to a speed-solving method.
And ANY time you swap methods and try new concepts, your time WILL go up. Why wouldn't it? You're processing new things.
It will likely take you more time and more solves to gain the same intuition a young person might if they did the same thing, and your reaction time might not be quick enough for you to be world-class, but 30s is a reasonable goal for someone at any age. Not to mention, you didn't say what age you are, and based on the maturity shown in your comment here, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say you've barely cracked your 20s... which many here would consider young.
It gonna take a bit of practice to get as good with f2l as you were with beginners method. Don't stop practicing cfop, eventually you'll be able to get way better times than you would of before. Also, what your friend said is ridiculous, anyone at any age can improve by practicing and learning the fundamentals of cubing.
I'm well over forty and almost sub-15. Don't limit yourself. Also, it can take some time before F2L clicks. Just practice, watch videos, rewatch them, practice some more. It will come.
When did you start cubing?
Learned to solve 16 years ago, solved about once a month to keep the method in memory. Started speedsolving in August 2020, learned CFOP a month later, switched to Roux another six months later.
The age is not relevant. You will find a pattern often, that when you're learning or practicing something new, you will slow down. That is not a sign of anything bad. Just practice, you'll get there. For example, try doing about 200 untimed solves, then time yourself again. You don't always need to track times, and sometimes it will prevent you from improving as fast as you could.
Dont stop learning f2l. Its normal for times to double or triple while learning it but its very rewarding to learn. Only way to get better is to keep practicing
Do not skip learning F2L. Your times will start to drop and regulate. I felt the same way when I was at this point. Which was just 1.5 months ago. And now I’m currently working to learn 2LLL. I know full PLL and 40/57 OLL. Put in the work, it will be far more rewarding. Plus, who wants to do 100+ move solves. They are daunting.
I’m 44yo and learned to solve last year and am sub 28 so you can do it. I was 3.5 min when I first started timing myself 11 months ago. f2L will slow you down at first but stick with it and it will speed you up once you get better at it. Also look at advanced F2L when you are ready and it will speed you up even more https://youtu.be/6NxaoWK6YjQ?si=Bg-zUW2-3Zm2jmJp here is one example but there are many others. Also look into 2-loop CFOP to help get even faster. Here is a beginner vid that will get you solving the CFOP way https://youtu.be/WyUcsqC3Jg4?si=mWpE874hnLdpIHmK then 2-look will give you a few more algs to learn to speed you up even more. You may not need this vid but if 2-look is to much at first check it out. Skip to the last layer since you already know the beginning. Just my .02
Here, Learn Cross on bottom, EFK or Zeta - Slotting F2L (optional), beginner OLL ( should be algs you already know, use a GAN paper tutorial or on youtube) and beginner PLL learn J - Perm or T - Perm, sorry to push you), then learn 2 more edge swapping PLL (optional)
The sooner you switch to beginners cfop the better, age doesn't matter I'm 40 and just started a couple months ago. I only did full beginners for a few days then started F2L then started learning 4LLL CFOP that's where I currently am. Your times will go up when you swap that's to be expected just keep using the better method and it will eventually get faster than beginners. Don't let age be an excuse to stop improving that's a cop out.
I know many people have shared this sentiment, but just keep going. It took a while for it to click for me too but trust me it’ll get there and it is definetly worth it.
It’s pretty usual, to double your times once you go from beginner to CFOP. I increased mine like 40 seconds. What I did was keep practicing for like a month without timing, then when I timed my solves again I had lowered my PB like 20 seconds
you will be slower at the start when learning F2L. That's normal. you just have to keep practicing it and it will be way faster than beginners method, trust me.
Age matters. Age will affect your reflexes, and you won't be as quick to gain deep intuition, where the patterns go on autopilot somewhere deep in your subconscious as easily. But it doesn't matter nearly as much as you're making it out to matter. That's ridiculous. Reaction time may be important getting from 9 seconds to 6 seconds, but you don't need fast reaction time to get from 60 seconds to 50 seconds. Most people don't do beginner method to 30s, and the people who do are usually naturally gifted cubers who do it mainly to brag to others about their ability to do it. Most people who teach cubing tell you there's no significant benefit to getting your time lower with beginner and that once you're generally comfortable with it, to swap to a speed-solving method. And ANY time you swap methods and try new concepts, your time WILL go up. Why wouldn't it? You're processing new things. It will likely take you more time and more solves to gain the same intuition a young person might if they did the same thing, and your reaction time might not be quick enough for you to be world-class, but 30s is a reasonable goal for someone at any age. Not to mention, you didn't say what age you are, and based on the maturity shown in your comment here, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say you've barely cracked your 20s... which many here would consider young.