I am new to yo yoing but very excited to get-into-it seriously. To do that I need a yo yo. I want to invest in a yo yo for myself and one for my 9 year old so we can learn together. I am thinking of the Dark Magic II for myself and either the Velocity or the Sage yo yo (from yoyotricks.com) for my 9 year old.
I would really appreciate any other recommendations that experienced people have about the selections above and/or other yo yo’s I should consider before buying these. I would like to have the option of going from responsive to unresponsive once I get better. This is why I chose the Dark Magic II (plus it gets good ratings) I have about 70.00 to spend for two yo yo’s.
-two YYJ Classics ($20)
-two full sized bearings to upgrade the Classics when you’re ready to move from responsive to unresponsive tricks ($10-15)
-two sets of silicone pads, again for the upgrade to unresponsive play ($4)
-a 100 bundle of Kitty Polyester strings ($20)
I appreciate the feedback all. One more question. I have not done any binding yet and am really just a beginner so would a binding yo-yo just frustrate the hell out of me or is it something I should just learn now so I can get a better caliber of yo yo? The yo-yo jam for my kid seems like a good idea for sure if the Sage and Velocity don’t really compare. It boils down to wanting something nice for myself that will “grow” with me for a few years. Thanks again.
The Velocity isn’t the best yoyo in the world, but it will do the trick and it’s light. For a 9-year-old, he might not get much joy out of a big, heavy YYJ Classic.
From the YYJ lineup, the Lyn Fury is also lighter and smaller. The trade off is that it’s not as stable, but you don’t want him wrecking up his finger and stopping yoyoing because it hurts.
Thank-you very much for the helpful replies, especially taking into consideration my sons’s age as I don’t want a yo-yo which is too heavy for him to throw. I think I’ll go with the Sage, DM II and fast 201 as backup. Any other thoughts welcome. I appreciate the advice very much.
I’d say u should start with the classic then upgrade with a better bearing and response when u are ready and ur child could start in either a classic (light IMO not heavy) or something lighter like a yyf one or I guess the velocity.
Really you’d be better to just buy a classic and a speedaholic. That way you can have one great responsive throw and one great unresponsive throw. I always say to avoid the Dm2. It’s outdated with it’s high walls and the plastic/metal hybrid can cause cracking if it’s exposed to cold temperatures. The classic is a great responsive throw with a durable and simple design that still stays current. The speedaholic is the same except it’s unresponsive. You could also pick up a Gacek One which comes with an extra centertrack. That way you get an extra bearing that costs $11 on it’s own for $10 and receive an responsive throw. The one is pretty light and small but can still be a decent beginner yoyo for someone just trying to get the sleeper down.
I should’ve actually checked first-- that’s my mistake. At 63g, the Classic isn’t too heavy. I gave mine away ages ago and was “remembering” it as kinda heavy, but facts are facts and 63g is not a super-heavy yoyo!
That is indeed what I meant! But that was before checking on the weight. 63g isn’t so bad even for a kid. He’s 9, after all. 63g shouldn’t be TOO much of a bear for him.
yoyojam classic all the way just make sure you buy a C-bearing along with it in order for him to go unresponsive when its time. Or if you want to shell out a little bit of money the yoyojam Legacy 3 is a great choice i used the legacy 2 when i was just starting out and it was awesome to learn on the legacy 3 will probably do similar for your son. Also whatever yoyo you choose the DM2 isn’t the best to learn on like said about its outdated and cant keep up with new tricks. As for the downside of the velocity is its too light you guys would need some weight on it so he can throw down harder sleepers. (also whatever you do dont buy from yotricks.come yoyoexpert always has the best prices on yoyos on the internet.)
Ok if you are just starting to yoyo you want to get responsive yoyos (Duncan has great beginner yoyos) and after you get good with a responsive yoyo you can invest in a higher priced unresponsive yoyo:)
