I’ve been looking to teaching myself a bit of 5A just for the heck of it. Since I know 5A goes harder on yo durability I was planning on using a MagicYoyo Stealth or making my Yomega Maverick unresponsive. Specific make and model aside, most 1A yos are also capable of 5A, right? What are good traits in a 5A yo?
1 Like
You can use whatever yoyo you want as long as you’re comfortable with dropping it. A lot of people suggest cheaper yoyos or plastic yoyos to start our with.
4 Likes
That was why I edited my post to include the maverick because that is definitely my cheapest metal yoyo. It was also my first metal yoyo so it is dinged as all get out so it could take a few more
1 Like
Would not use Bimetal in the beginning because of the rings that can deform easily. To make your life easier maybe something on the bigger side to not go off plane so often and V also helps. Just my opinion
3 Likes
I think either of those is a fine place to start. I typically like h shaped yoyos for 5A but I have yoyos of all shapes set up for 5A. My favorites are the C3 progressiver and CLYW borealis
2 Likes
Yes most 1a yoyos can be used for 5a. What you need from a yoyo is a solid and stable spin. With walls that don’t allow the string to hit the wall of the yoyo. The maverick is organic which can work but a v shape yoyo like the canon is more stable and will work better.
You can try
Replay Pro
Canon
B Grade Canon
Recognition
My top pick for 5a would be the Yoshicuda
1 Like
Dude, I used my M1 for 4A. It’s whatever so long as you don’t mind the dog walking itself sometimes.
4 Likes
All yoyos for 1A can be used for 3A and 5A (and 4A technically, but most won’t be good at it)
Yoyos are more durable than you’d expect. I wouldn’t concern yourself with feeling like you need to play a plastic yoyo or anything for fear of breaking it. Just use whatever you’re comfortable with for 1A, you might pick up some dings if you play over concrete, but you’re not going to break your yoyo just playing normal 5A. There’s no best type of yoyo for 5A, so just use whatever you want. Older players can 5A just fine on narrow, high walled, small bearing yoyos. Good traits are just whatever you personally like.
Players like Hiroyasu Ishihara like very small diameter and wide yoyos, like the Turning Point 2/Miidy. Players like Hideo Ishida prefer narrow yoyos with a big diameter to have a more powerful spin, like the Remate/Laurus. Players like Sora Ishikawa want extremely wide yoyos to make their tricks easier to land, like the Galaxy Diver/Stellar IX. Oldschool players like Shingo Terada/Steve Brown still rock organics with relatively high walls, like the Bacchus/Beater.
Every spectrum of yoyo type is represented as the ideal choice for different high level 5A players. All that matters is that you like the yoyo.
8 Likes
You’re really not helping me stay convinced I don’t want a Beater…
Thanks a lot.
I started learning 5a on my first unresponsive: Horizon. Then I started using a DocPop Bolt. I’ve tried a Luftwerk Plastic Fulvia and for a minute I put a CW on my MCMO. Definitely all worked. The Bolt wasn’t as stable, of course, but it was fine. At the moment I’m more interested in responsive counterweight stuff.
2 Likes
Responsive + counterweight sounds very hard. You would need to keep constant centrifugal motion on the counterweight whenever released to keep the string taut and not “return” the throw to your counterweight.
When people refer to playing 5A with a responsive yoyo now, it’s generally more in a style like this. Doctor Popular on Instagram: "#FixedAxleFriday #FixedAxleFebruary using a Bloodcell by @spinworthyyoyos" Intentionally using lots of regens and stalls. Responsive yoyoing has changed a lot in the past decade. It’s not like the oldschool players who cut their teeth throwing 5A on responsive FHZs.
4 Likes
I’m in the same boat as you. Ordered a Thing from Doc Pop specifically for trying to learn this style of play. I already know I’m going to be dropping it and flinging it off toward the wall by mistake, so I’m hoping the plastic will be a bit more forgiving.
My favorite yoyo to learn/practice 5A is a YoyoFriends Dove. It is a high-performance plastic that plays every bit as good as a monometal, but contact damage is far less consequential. It is also full size without being big and bulky like most other high-end plastics that have come out in the last few years.
3 Likes
You can use anything your heart desires bro. I’m currently working on some basic fixie 5a stuff like Mable linked with a $4 dollar butterfly. And the same thing goes for counterweights. It doesn’t have to be a Duncan die or a fancy PoryKon etc. There’s a player (forgot his name smh) that swears on using a rubber ducky bath toy.
5 Likes
Rubber duck has seriously strong energy as a counterweight
1 Like
Craziest I have is a rubber spike ball and honestly it’s mostly because it matches the half swap almost perfectly lol. It’s not as heavy as you’d think but it’s definitely a fun challenge for a lot of elements used in 5a
7 Likes
Wasn’t 5A developed by some guy using an organic yoyo called the Free Hand Zero? You could take that as your cue…
4 Likes
6 Likes
Lol thank you for finding this! First place too
1 Like
I recently saw a video with Tyler Severance talking about how he had 5A in mind while designing the Recess First Base. Kinda cool, never knew that.