In short, it all boils down to this. In a competition, we are not
looking for the fastest cuber. In a competition, we are seeing who can
solve the cube fastest in a competition setting with competition
pressure under the competition regulations and using the competition
equipment.

People here say that dropping the cube might cause it to turn once so
they don't want to use the StackMat. My suggestion to all of you is to
buy a StackMat and practice. If not, during all of the competitions,
at least the ones I run, the timers are open for people to practice on.

It's the same pretty much for everything. The 100-meter dash doesn't
find the fastest runner. It finds the person able to get from here to
there given the procedures of the race, the gun shot, the chest pump to
kill off .01 of a second, and the track, and the shoes. It would be
unreasonable for someone to complain that they didn't have a track or a
gun to practice with. Get someone to stand there and fire blanks into
the air so you can practice your reaction time. Also, go find a track.
If it were up to me, fine, I'd love everyone to have a StackMat. I
can't provide this to you as the olympic committee can't give their
runners 100-meters of red track running surface.

Tyson Mao
MSC #631
California Institute of Technology

On Feb 26, 2005, at 7:29 AM, cmhardw wrote:

> Hey Ryan,
>
> .....
>> and it is unnatural
>> to have to drop the cube at the end of the solve to get the fastest
>> time.
> ...
>
> With a little practice you can avoid having to drop the cube, yet
> still stop the timer quickly. I even asked Tyson about my technique
> (I'm sure others do the same thing too) at the 2004 US competition
> and he said there was no problem with it.
>
> What I do is to continue holding the cube as I move my hands to the
> timer. That way the cube hits the table just as your hands hit the
> timer pads, so it satisfies the WCA rules in that the cube is on the
> table as your hands stop the timter, however your hands bring the
> cube to the table (which is faster than gravity alone btw, so it is
> even faster than dropping).
>
> I just wanted to mention that this flaw in the stackmat can be
> overcome with practice on a stackmat. This has its own problem in
> that people who can't afford stackmats can't practice this.
>
> Maybe just before the rounds start at a competition, when stackmats
> are provided for people to practice, this technique should be shown
> by the judges to those who aren't used to the mat? I think that
> could help with people who are afraid of dropping.
>
> Just a thought,
> Chris