So, the last 3 days I’ve been playing with my yoyo.
At first I couldn’t make the simplest trick: the Gravity Pull.
I did everything as the guys in the videos. Exactly the same throw but for some weird reason, when I did the slight tug my yoyo wouldn’t come back.
I started to get frustrated and did some dumb moves to try and figure it out how it works and archieved nothing.
After a whole day of throwing, I started to archieve it! I didn’t know exactly why but I was doing it! the tug was a bit harder than in the videos but I was doing it! So, I decided to perform a trick a bit more advanced (yah, delusional me haha) I threw the yoyo to the front and upwards. I couldn’t grab the yoyo as it came to me (and even hit me in the fingers haha)
Since I couldn’t grab the yoyo, let it hang from my finger and I noticed it started to spin. I thought “ah, my string is very tight!” so I let it to get loose.
To check how tight or loose is my string, I grab the yoyo with my left hand while I have the end of the string in my mid finger. If the string draws an U then it’s loosen but if asa soon as I start to grab the yoyo the string starts to twirl.
At first I thought a loosen string aws the best, but as soon as I started to throw again, I noticed the yoyo was just like the day before. What did I do? O.o everything was working just fin and then after that failed trick, the yoyo stopped working… unless…
Performs the trick that tightens the string Throws the yoyo Slight tug Marvelous!!! Gravity pull works!!!11one
So I came to the conclusion that a tight string makes a yoyo more responsive and a loose string helps the yoyo to be unresponsive.
My question is: Am I right or is it me?
TL;DR version:
A tight string = Responsive yoyo?
&&
A loose string = Unresponsive yoyo?
First off, what yoyo do you have and perhaps, what bearing do you have in there?
You may be playing with an unresponsive yoyo, and while it IS possible to tug many “back home”, it often takes one massive tug and a bit of luck to get it to come back.
What you’re describing in string tension(where you pinch it, bring it up and it twirls over itself). This is also important but if you’re starting out, it’s not as critical YET. You want your string tension neutral(it won’t twist up on itself).
Keep in mind, every throw, the yoyo is going to cause the string to get a half-twist in it. Throw for a while and it’s going to get tighter or looser.
Please more information. Many yoyos are unresponsive these days. I just need more information from you.
I have actually found this too. But it sounds like your using a semi-unresponsive yoyo, to get it to come back on every tug you can just put a little bit of 3 in 1 oil in the bearing and you should be fine (1 drop).
@Studio42:
Yeah, sorry I didn’t give any more information /blush
My yoyo is a Dark Magic 2 and the bearing is the thin one (the one it comes with), the string too is the one the yoyo comes with (I bought 5 pro-poly strings but I have them still in its pack)
I was just curious to find if this was a “common knowledge” thing or if I was doing something unusual hehe. I’ve been practicing a bit more with my yoyo and I’m getting better at the gravity pull and well, sometimes the string is not too tight and I can still make the gravity pull.
I guess it was a matter of technique.
I still have the impression that the string tightness makes my yoyo to come to me faster.
@Nobody:
Thanx I was wondering if the 3in1 oil would work on yoyos. I won’t use it yet but it’s good to know that n___n
1: Thin bearing DM2. Been there, done that, I’m past that.
I suggest either double looping AND/OR a drop or two of YYJ thick lube will boost the responsiveness. I’m doing this in my kids’ ONEs. Double wrapped and a drop of thick lube in the thin bearing. I personally won’t use 3 in 1 in a yoyo. That’ just me being me. Lots of other people use it. I just won’t do it.
You may also wish to change the string. You might have just worn the life out of that one.
Would you say if the string won’t stay “tight” to the bearing, that might also be an indicator that it’s time for a string change? I notice when my string won’t stay close to the bearing(twisted up to it), I notice I’m usually having similar “old string issues” cropping up.
Between my recently increased throwing(and now stopped due to back issues) and 2 kids throwing their ONE’s and working their way through the YYE trick chart, I’m changing a lot more strings these days. Fortunately, I’m well stocked on YYE string.
I need to do an experiment: Measure a string BEFORE anad then measure it again AFTER. I want to see how much stretch and bounce got pulled out of a string. I bet it’s not that much in the big picture of things, but I’m curious.
Buy more strings NOW!!! You said you only have 5. After a heavy day of throwing almost all strings will be done no matter what. There are exceptions but they are few and usually expensive. If you throw a lot you might go through all that string in less than a week. You don’t want to run out of string, do you?
I’ll try to work without the double loop but I will do a DL once I change strings. Also, I tihnk I’ll get a bulk of 100 strings from the store. (Better be prepared) Right now I’m not throwing as much as I want, I arrive home quite late so I prolly practice about 30 mins per day… still I better be prepared.
Also, I’m thinking about buying a ONE for myself (the one that comes with 2 bearings). I want the ONE to practice the tricks before trying them on my DM2 for 2 reasons
If I hit myself is going to hurt less (Metal rims do hurt haha)
If I hit the yoyo and it suffers some damage, it won’t sadden me as much as if I damage the DM2
I’m curious too about something:
What’s the difference between the strings that say “TWISTED” and the ones that don’t say it? (In the store I mean)
Don’t forget, your DM2 came with 2 bearings as well.
1: Plastic hurts when you get hit too. Mega ouch. It’s basically “choose your pain”
2: Hard to argue that point.
Regarding strings, there’s various string brands on the market. Kitty String, Twisted, Chaos, Hamstring and many others, including generic brands like what YYE offers as their bulk stirng(I think it’s Highlights). Each brand has avid followers and people develop preferences over time as to what they like. Right now, I have a lot of the YYE 100% poly bulk string and I like it just fine. I’m starting out, so any string is better than no string, and this stuff is decent and gets the job done quite well.
If you’re lucky enough to have a nearby brick and mortar store where you can walk in and pick up supplies, then hey, good for you. Even if this means taking a bit of money away from YYE, do your math. If strings plus shipping costs more than walking in to get strings plus tax(if applicable), plus if you factor in travel costs(bus, taxi, car, time, bike, skateboard, inline skates, scooter, whatever), get the local stuff.
With me for now, as I said, it’s more important to have string period. I am sticking with the YYE stuff for now until I get better, although I may get some bulk Kitty String soon. Since you’re starting out, again, any string will be fine. I do recommend getting either slick 6 or 100% poly though. Cotton wears super fast.
got more strings. a 100 pro-poly bulk
Also got me a bottle of thin lube (I just want to keep it at hand in case the need to use it arrives)
Also, I bought the ONE (Green) with extra spec ring. Studio42.
I wasn’t sure about buying the ONE 'cause I barelly have time to play with the DM2, but after thinking a little… I found it kinda lame to pay 10$ of shipping for only 17$ of items. I added the ONE and the shipping will remain the same (Also, the ONE is not expensive so ::dance:: )
I agree. It’s lame to pay $5-7 for shipping for string or accessories.
I try to ensure accessories get bundled into most purchases. If I have to pay to ship a yoyo, why not add other necessary items in order to not have to pay extra shipping later.
Lube, responses, string, multi-tool, dice/CW’s, carry bags, holsters, slings, even stuff like bearings.
The DM2 alone is fine. It’s a great yoyo. The deal with the ONE is that it’s so low cost you won’t worry about beating it up, doing stuff like walk the dog on concrete or dropping it on a hard surface(like a bad throw where you drop your arm or doing 5A or the string snaps). Plus, variety is good.
Right now, I’m well stocked on things like responses and lube. These items tend to last a long time. So, even though I have a lot of string, I try to always include string with every order. Some guys go through strings at insane rates(4-5 an hour! I’m serious) while others like me, a string could last a few days, but typically a couple of hours. But, sometimes it takes many days to get through those couple of hours of “spin time”.
So yeah, it seems silly to spend like $5.95 to ship a ONE. Buy a ONE, bulk string, lube(you may want thick and thin for now), YYF Multi-tool(the bearing is tight in the ONE, not in the DM2) and responses and now you’ve spent more on other stuff than the ONE, but now your total shipping price hasn’t changed and the total price seems more reasonable.
I was wondering if the 3in1 oil would work on yoyos. I won’t use it yet but it’s good to know that n___n