Beginners Luck with Yoyo Tricks

On multiple occasions I’ve hit a new trick I’m trying to learn on my first or second try, only to then lose it for an extended period of time until I can hit it again (by extended time I mean days if not weeks). Once I finally hit it again, I usually get it down consistently in short order. Has this phenomenon happened to you? I find it to be very frustrating.

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yeah that has happened for me multiple times when learning tricks. One of the times I can think of this happeneing more iconically was when I was learning brent stole. In all seriousness I landed it the first time on accident and then i landed it the second time on purpose and then I couldn’t hit it at all for several days until it was like the most consistent thing ever.

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We need “The Inner Game of Yo”!

I think this phenomenon is in part what is explored in the “Inner Game” books. Those books talk about two parts of the ego: “Self 1” and “Self 2”. Self 1" is the part that constantly chatters in your head about everything you should be doing, and everything that could go wrong, is going wrong, or is going right. “Self 2” is the the one that gets out of the way, and lets your muscle memory take over, without comment or judgement.

The books are all about tricking your brain into “Self 2 Mode” to allow you to more effortlessly perform to your fullest. I think sometimes learning a new trick; our lack of expectation of hitting the trick on the first try, can set our brains into that mindset. Then “Self 1” jumps in with all of it’s commentary, and screws everything up!

I’ve found the same thing can happen when I throw a new yoyo for the first time. I think “Self 1” gets distracted by the sensations of a new yoyo, and quiets down. Suddenly for a bit, I’m nailing a lot of my low percentage tricks!

I’m not sure how many books there are, but I think “The Inner Game of Tennis” by Tim Gallawey was first. I read “The Inner Game of Music”, which was written by Barry Green with Tim Gallawey.

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That’s pretty fascinating. Gotta read up on that.

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Which makes sense, but only after a trick–in its properly executed form–has been successfully committed to muscle memory, which takes many practice iterations, most of which will fail. “Self 1” just needs to understand that the early learning/practice process is going to include a lot of failure, and in fact the failure is integral to producing eventual success.

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Right. You can overcome “self 1” to a great extent just through repetition. Eventually your muscle memory is so well established that you’re able to override the “self 1” chatter.

I think perhaps when this happens with a new trick, the muscle memory is already there from other things you’ve practiced, and when “Self 1” is quiet, you’re able to tap into those latent abilities.

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That doesn’t seem to be the case very often for me as I work through the YYE trick ladder. Some tricks will utilize an element I already know, sure, but most seem to use elements that involve movements I’ve never had to execute before.

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Yeah me either, but it has happened to me on occasion.

I think even so, the more different elements you’ve mastered, the more your muscle memory can “fill in the blanks” so to speak, even with something you’ve never specifically done before. I think being in that “Self 2 mode” really helps that happen.

This is all conjecture on my part of course! I don’t know if there has been any scientific data to back it up. Seems to ring at least somewhat true, though. There are many versions as well: Zen, in the zone, on a sub-conscience level, etc… What’s unique about the books, is the breaking the idea up into these two parts of the ego.

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Self 1 vs self 2 currently battling each other when I practice reverse Brent stole - when s2 is engaged I can land RBS consecutively. When s1 is switched on - that catch rate drops down significantly. Thank you @Myk_Myk for this!

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I took at least 3 years to get decent boings down, whereas I literally had a perfect Seasick the first time I tried it. The brain is weird.

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