Yeah, if he already has the Rev.1 then there’s no need for him to get a Top Deck.
However, between the two I still recommend the Top Deck over the Rev.1. It is a bit smaller and rounder (and therefore more comfortable in the hand), with a more beginner-friendly gap width, and a weight equivalent to the Rev.1 (well within the margin of manufacturing variance, I’d say). I’d also venture to guess that the weight distribution of the Top Deck puts more weight at the rims than the Rev.1. I say that mostly because I seriously doubt One Drop has ever, or will ever, make another yoyo with inner walls as perilously thin as the Top Deck.
I am also working my way through intermediate/advanced and appreciate my VTWO with centering bearing. I’m not crazy about the shape, but the power and stability is noticeably better than the other throws I’ve tried to use for learning tricks.
I’ve always been curious about the Top Deck though, gonna check it out!
There are just too many good options to pick from these days, just go with what looks interesting to you, as little help as that is.
When I was at that level around 2011, I had obtained a couple different shaped and sized yoyos…at the time, preferring something with some hefty rim weight and width/low walls. Up to that point, I was using a Yomega Maverick so I was comfortable with smaller sized yoyos.
My RecRev Fig 4 spent a lot of time learning a bunch of things as that thing has some extreme rim weight for its small frame…was just one of those yoyos that jived with me first throw. While an undersized yoyo may not have been ideal to learn on, today’s undersized was kind of the norm back then…and it only made hitting most tricks on a full sized throw a bit easier.
I have a recess snack that I throw around also. I like that it’s harder to hit the sting to refine moment and accuracy. The other throw is just to make tricks easier to hit, lets me know that is possible and I can push forward