TIPS
HOW TO CHOOSE A YO-YO
The most important thing for yo-yoing is the yo-yo. But how do you choose the right one to start with?
The most expensive does not always mean it is better. If you are starting out, you should begin with a yo-yo which is responsive. This means that the yo-yo spins at the end of the string, but can return to your hand by tugging upwards.
WHY START WITH A RESPONSIVE YO-YO
The most important trick to start with is to throw correctly and return the yo-yo back to your hand. And while some beginner yo-yos can easily turn into a non-responsive yo-yo by changing the ball bearing, you need to master a more advanced trick to get it back in your hand.
Beginner tricks are also much easier to master with a yo-yo designed specifically for that, and if you progress gradually, you can learn a few new yo-yo tricks every day.
Walk, don’t run. Starting with an advanced yoyo at the beginning will make it much more difficult to properly learn tricks.
HOW TO LEARN YOYO TRICKS
The best way to learn tricks is from other yoyers. Other options are from videos or pictures. You can use the TRICKS section on our website, and once you have mastered them, you can start searching on the Internet and on Youtube or invent your own tricks.
However, it is important to go gradually from the lighter, more basic ones and only once you have learnt them, continue to the more advanced tricks.
The most important trick is to spin the yoyo and return. Practically all the other tricks come out of this. Its name is SLEEPER.
At the beginning, you can gradually try a longer and longer Sleeper by counting and increasing time. Once you have mastered the Sleeper at ease (spin the yoyo for at least 10 seconds and put it back in your hand) move on to the next tricks.
HOW TO SELECT A STRING
The first and most important thing about a string is the fact that all the strings fit into all the yo-yos. It doesn’t matter which one you choose, you will always be able to yoyo with them, no matter what yoyo you have.
Another important property of strings is the material from which the strings are made. The most used are artificial cords made of polyester. Most brands use pure polyester strings. These last longer than, for example, cotton strings, which are currently less used. Occasionally there are still strings that are mixed from both materials. A special case is strings made of nylon.
The colour of the string is also important. You can choose the colour according to your yoyo or just what you like. But we recommend choosing a colour that is distinctive, because you’ll see the string against a dark floor, for example. But it will also be appreciated by others, who will see so much better the tricks that you do. This recommendation becomes mandatory if you are shooting a video or going to compete. In this context, the choice of clothing is also important. If you have a white T-shirt and white strings, no one will see anything. For this reason, by far the most used combination is the yellow colour of the string and the black or very dark colour of the T-shirt. So always choose contrasting colours.
YOYOING STYLES
There are various so-called styles in yo-yoing. Five of them are officially recognized in competitions around the world. They are marked with a number and the letter A (1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A).
1A
The most popular style which players begin with.
It is a rotating yoyo which is attached to the hand with a string.
2A / Looping
Yo-yoing with two narrower yo-yos that are set to responsive play. Player throws them both at once in aa “looping” motion.
3A
Two spinning yo-yos using string style tricks are used. It’s a two-handed version of 1A.
4A / Off string
It uses a larger yo-yo that is not tied to a string. You can throw the yo-yo up into the air and manoeuvre it around the body.
5A / Freehand
A small, weighted object called a counterweight is attached to the slipknot at the end of the string instead of your finger.