Despite practising for hours together, why are we unable to perform to our fullest? Why do we keep making the same mistakes? How do we get as good as the best in the world? What is the right way to practice?
Although I am not going to get into the granular details of how to achieve world class times, I will help you structure your practice and help you find a good way to get good at Speedcubing! Here are some quick tips to help you become world class in cubing, in a more systematic and sustainable way:
1. GET GOOD AT ACADEMICS
Yes! This might seem random, but this is the most important part.
If you want to ensure your parents support you at cubing for the long term, you need to get better at studies. Else, your parents are going to stop you from practicing and attending competitions because you have not given them enough assurance about your future. Even if they support you, you are going to feel worthless when you fail even a single event that you practiced hard for, and that is not healthy in the long run.
2. GET HEALTHY (PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY)
Fitness is one of the most crucial elements in the process of getting world class. It is easy to get carried away by hours and hours of slogging but that is only going to take you so far. It is important that you get fitter everyday if you want to be better. Cubing have a lots of
mental benefits, but I believe to stay mentally fit you have to stay physically fit first.
Run, play a sport, practice yoga, lift weights, perform martial arts, anything! Anything that you enjoy! But do it every day and make it part of your schedule. If you feel low mentally, talk to your parents, find a therapist and seek medical help. It is no shame.
You are only as good as your weakest link. If you are going to be troubled because of ailments, you will not be able to achieve your goals at becoming world class.
3. HAVE A FIXED TIMETABLE
Now that we have covered the basics it is important to know how to start getting good at cubing. It is easy to get distracted with so many events and videos of so many cubers popping every now and then. Also, there are chances you might not notice that your time for
other activities (eating, socializing, studying, sleeping, etc) are getting consumed insidiously while you practice. Make a schedule and start following it. You can tweak it as you go.
This way you are also going to be more focused when you actually practice because you know your time for practice is limited and you need to give it your all.
4. COMPETE MORE OFTEN
This is obvious! As obvious as everything else in the list but we all tend to miss.
It is important that you compete. Online, offline, doesn’t matter. Get used to the pressure. Get used to being under spotlight. Get used to being watched. Get used to new environments.
This is optional but before you compete in Worlds or Asians, I would recommend competing more often in other countries. Will help you meet new athletes and get you out of your comfort zone much faster during bigger competitions.
5. BE CONFIDENT
This is the final piece of this entire puzzle of how to get World class!
You are there for a reason. No matter what happens, do not doubt yourself. If you fail, that’s fine. Go back to the drawing board, identify weakness, and set a new goal.
Keep yourself motivated despite of all the failure and learn from it. If you are unable to identify them yourself, hire a coach and pay them to do it for you.
But regardless of what you decide to do, ensure that you trust the process and stay confident!
1 comment
Sourav Sharma
Thank you …
Really liked reading your blog…