Orientation of Last Layer (OLL)

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OLL comes right after F2L, and is the first of two step LL of Fridrich Method. As the name suggests, this step corrects the orientarion of all last layer pieces in one step. (that is, makes every piece on the top layer the color of last layer.) Before performing OLL, you should stop and slow down a little; make sure that you are not going faster than you can. Remember: After OLL comes PLL, which is usually a long algorithm. OLL is a segway connecting F2L and PLL, and should not be taken too seriously. (There are 57 patterns, so even if you wanted to, it would be very hard....unless of course, your name is Katsu =D). If you get stuck here, the whole solve is a fiasco. Don't risk a POP. Save your energy for PLL (Permutation of Last Layer). It also might be better to use algs for OLL so that there is no need for cube rotation as you go into the final step.

These are the algorithms I currently use for OLL. The codes given are JSCC's, Ron van Bruchem's, and Peter Jansen's. You can find the JSCC list on Josef Jelinek for his wonderful Java Cube Applet.

Most of these algorithms are taken from or based on ones from many other different pages. Remember: These are just the algorithms I use, you should always try as many algorithms you can to find your perfect match. Here is a list of pages with OLL algorithms.

Recognition

The placement of the correctly oriented last-layer stickers (those already on top) are easy to see, so recognition depends on quickly differentiating between different patterns with the same configuration on top. Make sure that you can pinpoint the pattern from the direction where you start the algorithm.

Algorithms

Codes	Pattern	Algorithm	How It's Done	Comment
1 F8 01-1		RU2-R2'FRF'U2'-R'FRF'		You don't get this one so often...try and do the whole cube turn as you are doing the R2. This way, you can smoothly connect it to the trigger RBR', and then the rest is no big deal. The U2' can also be U2. Whichever one you want. :D
2 F7 07-3		F-RUR'U'-F'-Fw-RUR'U'-F'w		Do F and Fw with right index pull, and F' and F'w with right thumb push. Keep your left thumb on F center throughout the entire algorithm. This helps keep all the finger tricks easy to perform.
3 F2 10-1		R'RwU-R'wU2-RwU-R'UR2R'w		I don't like this one. lol. I guess you could break up into two easier OLL. FRUR'U'F'-U-B'RBR'U'R'UR
4 F3 09-1		R'U2x-R'URU'y-R'U'R'UR'F		This one is pretty annoying, too. Lots of whole cube turns...the key is to do them while doing triggers.
5 N14 35-4		L'B2-RBR'BL		Easy-to-recognize pattern. I usually tilt the cube a little bit in direction of U, so then B2 becomes more like R2. As you are doing RBR', get your left hand ready to do the last L.
6 N21 36-1		RB2-L'B'LB'R'		Same thing as above, just mirrored.
7 N15 24-2		RwU-R'URU2'R'w		Very easy-to-do algorithm...but this also means that there is not much room for improvement. I do the U2' by U'U' with left index pull.
8 N18 23-2		L'wU'-LU'L'U2Lw		Mirror of above. Nothing special.
9 N19 26-3		F'U'F-LF'L'-U-LFL'		When doing the first 3 moves (FSC), you might want to tilt your cube a bit so that F face is almost in the position of L face. Then rotate the cube back to normal, and the rest is easy FSC's. LF'L' with left index pull for F', a quick right index pull for U, and then LFL' with right index pull for F. For LF'L'U, keep your thumb on F face.
10 N16 25-2		FUF'-R'FR-U'-R'F'R		Tilt your cube a little in direction of y', then tilt it back after you have done the first three moves in a slick finger trick. This algorithm is the inverse of #14
11 N17 22-1		L'R2BR'BR-B2R'BR'L		Your left hand doesn't do anything except for the first and the last moves. This one is the mirror of #12, but just doing the mirror of the algorithm is slow in this case.
12 F5 21-4		F-RUR'U'-F'-y-F-RUR'U'-F'		This is one of the three thunderbolt-ish patterns. #45 two times with a y in between...easy, right?
13 T10 29-3		LF'L'-U'-LFL'-F'UF
14 T8 30-1		R'FR-U-R'F'R-FU'F'		Mirror of #13 and inverse of #10.
15 T11 32-1		L'B'L-R'U'RU-L'BL
16 T9 31-3		RBR'-LUL'U'-RB'R'
17 F4 18-2		RUR'U-R'FRF'U2-R'FRF'		I find it easier to just use the right hand, and keep my left thumb on F face. U2 can also be done as U'U'.
18 F6 20-1		B'R'U'RD'w-RU2-RB'R'B		Left index trigger for U' and B'. The last B is the only right-handed finger trick I use for this algorithm.
19 F5 19-1		R'U2FRUR'U'F2(y')U2RB
20 F1 05		MU-RUR'U'-M2'-URU'R'w		Credit: Lars V.
21 H7 06-1		RU-R'URU'R'UR-U2R'		#21-28 are very easy algorithms, both to remember and to perform. You shouldn't have much problem with these, but if you do, I can make more videos.... These seven are the ones where the edges are oriented correctly. By using COLL, you can fix the orientation and also fix the permutation of corners, leaving you with only the permutation of edges.... This is a lot of extra algorithms, but they're sure worth studying.
22 H6 49-1	video (won't help)	RU2-R2'U'R2U'R2'-U2R		My friend invented a very nice FSC for this...it's called The Air Jeff...you basically hold the R layer with all five fingers, four on top and the thumb on bottom. So you do R like that, then flick flick for U2 with right index, rehold R with four on bottom and thumb on top, and keep them that way while you do U' with left index. The key is to alternate the direction of R2...try it. For the last U2, I use the whole right hands, and directly go into the last R. Watch the video, but I doubt it's gonna help much. XP.
23 H1 50-3		L2wU'R-D2-R'UR-D2R		Very easy alg...one problem is that you end up with LL on bottom.
24 H2 51-4		B'R'F-RBR'-F'R		It can be tricky to do this one very fast, but if you slow down, you almost never get stuck. You still have PLL...play it safe. =D
25 H3 56-2		B'R'F'-RBR'-FR		This one is much like the one above. Try and be able to do this from different angles. Another good algorithm for this patter is (U) F-RBR'-F'-RB'R'.
26 H5 55-1		L'U'LU'L'U2L		If you get either 26 or 27, consider yourself very lucky.... These are very easy algorithms, and it is also very easy to predict what PLL you will be getting. For 26, if the bottom right 2x2 square is already permuted correctly, use this algorithm instead: L'URU'LUR'. This usually leaves you with the easier PLL's (at least for me).
27 H4 54-2		RUR'URU2R'		(Read the explanation for 26 and mirror it over FB axis)
28 N1 57-1		RwUR'U'R-R'wRU'R'		Inverse of 57.
29 N9 41-1		B'R'B-L'-B'R2B'-R'B2L		#29 and #30 are pretty hard. I got these algs from Master Katsu's page. I'm not good enough to give advice on this yet....
30 N8 40-1		BLB'-R-BL2B-LB2R'		This is a pretty bad one. I should get a new one, really. =(
31 N5 46-2		L'D'w-RDw-LU'L'B'L		Go slow on the first half, and speed up in the second half. Don't risk a POP. It's just OLL....
32 N4 44-2		RDw-L'D'w-R'URBR'		same advice as above, but this one should be much easier to do smoothly. The last 5-move SFC is pretty tasty. =D
33 T4 34-1		RUR'U'-R'FRF'		One of the two T-patterns. This one is the harder one... but it's still one of the easiest OLL there is. Shouldn't have any trouble with this.
34 T2 37-1		RUR'U'(x)-D'-R'UR-E'
35 N12 28-4		RU2-R2'FRF'-RU2R'
36 N11 53-1		R'U'RU'R'URU-RB'R'B
37 N13 27-1		B'RBR'-U'R'UR
38 N10 52-4		LUL'ULU'L'U'-L'BLB'
39		LF'L'U'LUFU'L'
40		R'FRUR'U'F'UR
41 N6 39-1		RU'R'U2RU(y)RU'R'U'F'
42 N7 42-1		L'ULU2L'U'(y')L'ULUF
43 N3 45-2		F'wL'U'LUFw		see 45
44 N2 43-2		FwRUR'U'F'w		see 45
45 T5 33-1		FRUR'U'F'		43-45 are the shortest algs for OLL. You are very lucky. =D This alg is probably THE fastest for most people....I can do this one in <1 sec. (But of course I don't go so fast in real solving....never ever rush on OLL, do it on PLL.)
46 T3 38-2		RU-RB'R'B-U'R'
47 N27 16-1		F'-L'U'LUL'U'LU-F		Mirror of #47, but this one is slightly harder to do. But still, as long as you don't force your cube, sub-2 should be easy.
48 N26 15-4		F-RUR'U'RUR'U'-F'		This is #45 twice without doing F and F' in the middle. How easy is that? Don't POP though....Remember, it's just OLL. If you wanna go crazy, do it on PLL.
49 N25 13-3		LwU'L'w2ULw2UL'w2U'Lw
50 N24 14-2		R'wURw2U'R'w2U'R2wUR'w
51 T12 17-4		F-URU'R'URU'R'-F'		This is the inverse of 48.
52 T13 08-1		R'U'RU'R'-Dw-R'URB
53 N23 12-4		L'wU'- LU'L'ULU'L'U2-Lw		#8 twice.
54 N22 11-1		RwU-R'URU'R'URU2-R'w		#7 twice. Be careful not to POP.
55 T15 02-1		R'U2-R2U-R'URU2-B'R'B
56		RBR'-ULU'L'ULU'L'-RB'R'		I actually came up with this one by my self, though I recently found it also listed on Peter's site. Think of it as inverse of #16 twice.
57 T1 04-1		RUR'U'-Rw-R'URU'R'w		Very nice use of double layer turns. This should be one of the fastest OLLs.

These are some very good pages with PLL algorithms. Try as many algorithms as you can to find your perfect match :D