YO-YO TIPS

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.

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.

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 actually a two-handed version of 1A.

4A / Offstring
It uses a larger yo-yo that is not tied to a string. You can throw the yo-yo up into the air and maneuver 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. 

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, 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 when I learn them will I continue to the more advanced tricks.

The most important trick is to spin the yoyo and return. Practically all the others come out of it. Its name is SLEEPER.

At the beginning, you can gradually try longer and longer Sleeper by counting and increasing time. Once you have mastered Sleeper at ease (spin the yoyo for at least 10 seconds and put it back in your hand) move on to the next tricks.


YOYO BEARINGS

The bearing is the essential element that distinguishes the old classical yo-yo from the modern freestyle yoyo.

Thanks to the bearing, the yoyo can spin much longer at the end of the string, and this has enabled the development of much more challenging and complex tricks.

As standard, bearings of sizes A, C, D are used in yoyos.

And the size of C is in 99% of today’s yo-yos.

A it is also sometimes called a small bearing. It only fits into yo-yos like Loop and a few others.

D is a dimension that has been used by some European companies in the past. It is hardly used now.

In addition to width, thickness is also important for the bearing.
Half Spec is a designation that says the bearing is half the thickness than usual. This bearing is used in beginner yo-yos to properly return the yo-yo. Usually, this bearing can be replaced with a classic size and the yoyo will change from responsive to non-responsive.

FLAT – basic flat bearing

CONCAVE (Center Trac bearing) a bearing that has a U-shaped profile. This is because the string then holds more at the center and reduces friction against the walls of the yoyos. As a result, the yoyo spins a little longer and the string folded several times can fit inside.

There are many different shapes of profiled bearings, which differ in small details. And these are rather variations of individual companies. He is one of the most famous Center Trac, DS, Pixel, Concave bearing

Number of balls
The rule does not apply to bearings, the more balls, the better the bearing. In fact, the quality of the processing is much more important. On the market you will find bearings with 8, 10, 12, 16 balls as standard. Bearings with more balls usually rotate longer and make less noise.

In order for the bearing to last a long time, you should lubricate it. But the problem is that if you lubricate the bearing, it will rotate less and it can even make the non-responsive yoyo responsive, ie a yoyo that returns to jerk.

Yoyers usually dry / degrease / clean / clean the bearings with technical gasoline or gasoline for lighters. The dried bearing then rotates more.

From time to time, small debris can enter the bearing, whether it is dust, pieces of string / string, or particles from the bearing itself. The bearing then does not behave as it should make a louder sound than usual and does not rotate smoothly, it may jam. At that point, it is good to clean the bearing.

You can recognize this, for example, by removing the bearing and turning it with your finger. If the bearing rotates for a few seconds, then it is fine if not, then try to clean it.

Bearing cleaning
Prepare a small container in which you pour enough Zippo petrol into the lighters (technical petrol or kerosene can also be used) so that the bearing is completely submerged.
Unclip the bearing – use a needle or a sharp pin to release the pins that hold the sides (tabs on the sides) of the bearing. It is not absolutely necessary but it will ensure better cleaning of the bearing. Then throw the DISCUSSED bearing into the container, shake it a little and wait a while so that any dirt can wash out. Remove the bearing, dry it in a napkin and let it dry. You can speed up the drying process, for example, by spinning the bearing on a high-speed drill (Dremmel), where the bearing dries in a moment due to the centrifugal force.
– if cleaning did not help, feel free to repeat the process several times in a row.

Removing the bearing
The bearing can be removed in several ways:
By hand – in some yo-yos it is simply by hand or the bearing itself falls out after unscrewing.
Multitool / bearing extractor – a special tool designed specifically for this operation. Coincidentally, if the spindle is in the same half as the bearing, try unscrewing the spindle before removing the bearing. If this does not work, take extra care not to damage it.
The multiool fits into the inner dimension of the bearing, place it there and then remove the bearing from side to side.
Pliers – there is a risk of bearing damage with this method and special care must be taken. Cover the bearing with a cloth or a cloth folded several times, then press it with pliers (so-called “combos) are suitable over the cloth so that you can manipulate it and, similarly to the multitool, gradually remove the bearing with a rocking motion. Do not press the pliers with too much force to avoid damaging or even crushing the bearing.
String -if you don’t have a multitool or pliers, there is still a trick with a string. Unscrew the yoyo, put the used string over the bearing and then screw in both halves again. With a trumpet of luck, the string will be under the bearing the next time it is unscrewed, and then all you have to do is pull hard. Sometimes you need a little more patience and unfortunately it doesn’t work in 100% of cases.


RESPONSE SYSTEMS

In order for the yoyo to spin and return to the hand, a certain friction is needed, which in modern yo-yos ensures the so-called responsive systems. Without them, the string would just unwind from the yoyo and the yoyo would not spin or return to the hand.

If they don’t work properly, the yoyo not only returns worse, it also spins.

The most common return system today is the so-called: PAD

Response pad – It is a silicone ring located near the bearing.
There are several types and sizes. Most companies use “narrow pads”. Before the falls, other systems were widespread, such as:

Starburst – plastic protrusions in the shape of a star.
O ring– rubber rings. Today, a small seal is also hidden under this designation, which is part of the hubstak system.

When to replace pads: It usually takes several months for the pads to “go away” due to yo-yoing. They are then lower in appearance (they are no longer more or less aligned with the body of the yoyo). And you will know this mainly from the properties of the yoyo, which spins less than before with an equally strong throw and is less sensitive to bind.

How to replace the pads: The pad works similarly to a sticker. Remove the paper part to expose the glue side and then stick it to the yoyo wall. Before installing a new pad, be sure to thoroughly remove the old pad, including the old glue.

* Sometimes to maintain proper yoyo sensitivity, you only need to replace one pad. It is usually better to replace both.


YOYO TERMS

0 – 9

1A – the basic style of yo-yoing that everyone starts with, the string is tied to the yo-yo at one end and tied to the finger at the other

2A – yoying style with two yoyos at once, another name is looping

3A – yo-yo style where two yo-yos are used at the same time, the same as in case 1A

4A – yoyoing style, where the string is tied to the finger but no longer to the yoyo, another name is offstring

5A – yoyoing style, where the string is tied to the yoyo but not to the finger, instead there is a counterweight at this end, another name is freehand or counterweight

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A

AP – an abbreviation that has two meanings:
1) Asia Pacific – one of the largest competitions in the world, the regional championships of Asia and other states in the Pacific
2) Artistic Performance – a division at large contests, where only the artistic impression is evaluated, not the technical execution of tricks

axle – a component that holds the halves of the yoya together

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B

bearing– the part that can be considered that the yoyo rotates after the throw at the end of the string, has several basic sizes – A (in most plastic Duncan yo-yos), C (the most used size, in yo-yos from YYF, CLYW, C3, etc.), D (in most HSPIN yo-yos)

beadblast – surface treatment of the yoyo, matt at first glance, which better equips the yoyo for grinding tricks

bind – a trick through which an unresponsive yoyo returns

Becherovka – an herbal alcoholic drink from Karlovy Vary or Vashek’s signature trick

Butterfly – basic yoyo shape looking like) (which widens from the center, typical of current string yo-yos

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C

C3yoyodesign – yo-yo manufacturer from Hong Kong, http://www.c3yoyodesign.com/

Center Trac – a special bearing with a shape up to \ _ /, which keeps the string more at the center, which leads to less friction and braking of the bearing

CLYW, Caribou Lodge – Canadian yoyo maker, http://www.cariboublog.com/

combo – several tricks seamlessly arranged in a row

contest – designation for any yoyo competition

counterweight – another name for the yo-yoing style, also known as 5A, or the counterweight itself used in that style

CYA, Czech Yoyo Association – founded in 2005 as an official institution that sponsors and helps with the organization of all Czech yoyo competitions and the Czech Yoyo Cup, http://cya.cz/

Czech Yoyo Cup – for competitions, competitors receive a different number of points, which are included in the overall ranking, and the winner is the competitor with the most points, http://pohar.cya.cz/

ceramic bearing – a special bearing in which the balls are made of ceramic, so the bearing rotates longer and better, but at the same time it is more difficult to maintain

concave bearingΒ – a special U-shaped bearing that holds the string more to the center, resulting in less bearing friction and braking

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D

delrin – the special type of plastic from which the yoya is made is not cast, but it is turned, so the yo-yos produced in this way tend to be a bit higher quality and at the same time more expensive

ding – scratch on a metal yoyo

Double Dragon – yoyoing style, where two strings are tied to one yoyo at the same time

Duncan – American yoyo manufacturer, http://www.yo-yo.com/

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E

EYYC, European Yoyo Championship – the European Championship, the first and for a long time the last was in 1953, since 2010 it has been held regularly in various European cities

EYYM, European Yoyo Meeting – an event that is not about competing at all, but about the yo-yos meeting and spending some time together, takes place in a different European country every year

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F

Fast challenge – a competition in which it is a question of which of the two competitors will do 10 basic tricks in a row as quickly as possible

finger grind – a special type of grind, where the yoyo rotates in the horizontal position on the fingertip

fixed Axle – yoyo with a fixed, non-rotating center

freehand – with a small letter at the beginning it is a style of yo-yoing (5A), with a capital letter it is a designation of the legendary yo-yo from Duncan

freestyle – a way of competing on a contest, where competitors have a prescribed time (1, 2 or 3 minutes depending on the category), in which they perform any tricks to their own music

fronstyle – tricks that are done directly from Sleeper, the opposite of sidestyle

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G

gap – space for string

grind – trick in which the yoyo directly touches a part of the body, hand, finger, etc.

gyroscopic flop – a trick in which the yoyo rotates around its horizontal axis

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H

horizontals – tricks in which the yoyo moves in a horizontal position

hub – protrusion on the side of the yoyo, which hides the wasp, in Czech it is called “nipple”

hubstack – plastic part that sits on the hub and on the bearing, thanks to which the yoyo does not stop rotating when the yoyo is caught in the hand

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I

Imperial – basic yoyo shape looking like ( ), suitable and typical for looping yoyos

IYYF, International Yoyo Federation – international yoyo federation, which is mainly in charge of the WYYC, http://iyyf.org/

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J

judge – judges at yoyo contests

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K

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L

laceration – a trick in which the string moves to form a loop, into which the yoyo then catches

laser engraveing – image and text mostly white on a yoyo

looping – yoying style also referred to as 2A

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M

mega – anything great

mint – 100% yoyo condition, without scratches and dings, as if it had just unpacked from the box, brand new

mod – any change in the appearance or construction of the yoyo other than production

Modified – basic yoya shape looking like | |, a combination between imperial and butterfly shape

Moebius – yo-yoing style, in which a loop, which is normally wrapped around a finger, is stretched and tricks are then performed with this loop

mount – a common name for a differently intertwined string between the hands on which the yoyo sits

metal yoyoΒ – yoyo made of metal, most often of aluminum alloy, is created by turning, thus creating a series of hundreds of pieces

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N

nationals – national championship of any country, this term with a capital N at the beginning is used for the US championship

near mint – 90-95% yoyo condition, a yoyo may have a few miniature scratches

NYC, North Yoyo Contest – Czech competition, which takes place every year in the spring in ÚstΓ­ nad Labem, the first year took place in 2007

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O

OD, 1D, OneDrop – American yoyo manufacturer, http://onedropyoyos.com/

offstring – another name for the yo-yoing style, better known as 4A

O-ring – return system, which YYJ uses for some of its yo-yos and which consists in the presence of a rubber ring on both sides of the yo-yo

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P

pad – Currently the most common type of interchangeable return system, it has several different sizes

plastic yoyo – yoyo made of plastic, which is cast into molds, creating a series of thousands of pieces

pog – mostly a plastic plate covering the side of the yoyo, used by some of Duncan’s models

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R

responsive – yoyo which returns with just a pull of players hand, perfect for beginner tricks

response system – each yoyo returns to the hand thanks to various systems, currently dominated by a system of adhesive rings, which are minimally worn

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S

shape – yoya shape, basic are Imperial, Modified and Butterfly

Side Effect – a special type of yoyo center that can be replaced, typical of a OneDrop yoyo

sidestyle – tricks that are done from throwing into Breakaway, the opposite of frontstyle

slack – a common name for a trick that uses a yoyer loop created from a string

Sleeper – basic trick in which the yoyo spins at the end of the string

SLYZ, Super LibovΓ½ Yoyo ZΓ‘vody – a Czech competition, which takes place every year in autumn in Kralupy nad Vltavou or in the immediate vicinity, the first year took place in 2009

SMYC, South Moravia Yoyo Contest – a Czech competition, which takes place every year at the turn of spring and summer in MoravskΓ½ Krumlov, the first year took place in 2008

smooth – a laudatory expression meaning smoothness, trouble-free, gracefulness whether for a yoyo, yoyer or trick

Snow tire – special size return system for yoyos from CLYW

spacer – a component in some yo-yos that holds the bearing in place so that it can rotate smoothly

starburst – the method of the return system, which is solved by an embossed star on both sides of the yoyo, does not have to change

string – yoyoing string, which is made of various materials (pure cotton, pure polyester, mix of both, nylon, etc.)

suicide – a type of trick in which the yoyer tries to catch a loop with his finger that flies through the air in front of him

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T

TP, Turning Point – Japanese yoyo manufacturer, owned by Kentaro Kimura

tricklist – the method of competition at the contest, where competitors have a prescribed list of tricks, which they must demonstrate as correctly as possible, typical of beginner categories

ten balls bearing – Ccompared to a conventional bearing, which has 8 balls, the ten-ball ball is better thanks to its smoother running

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U
unresponsive – a yoyo not returning to pull must return through a trick called bind, all advanced yoyos


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V

Β 

W

whip – a trick in which player swings the string until it hits the yoyo

WYYC, World Yoyo Contest, Worlds – http://www.worldyoyocontest.com/

Weight ringΒ – mostly a metal ring pressed into a plastic yoyo, which results in a longer sleep and greater stability (eg with the Protostar yoyo)

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X

X divize – division on smaller contests, in which freestyle in styles 2A to 5A can be performed

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Y

YYF, YoYoFactory – American yoyo manufacturer, http://www.yoyofactory.com/

YYJ, YoYoJam – American yoyo manufacturer http://yoyojam.com/

YYO, Yoyofficer – Chainese yoyo manufacturer, http://www.yoyofficer.com/

YYMČR, Yoyo Nationals Czech Republic – the first took place in 2004, it always takes place every autumn, most often at the Ponec Theater in Prague

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Z

YoYoFactory Europe

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