Hi guy im new to the forum and yo yo and look forward to being part of the community. Im 35 and got my first yo yo today a Duncan Reflex and im looking for some advice. I thought this yo yo would be good to learn the basics but at the moment i’m just getting frustrated as the longest it will sleep for is about 3 seconds before auto return kicks in, i cant see how any string tricks could be learned with this yo yo. Have i selected the wrong yo yo for the job, should i pick one up without auto return or is this one faulty. thanks in advance for any help Scott
To be honest, you really just have the wrong tool for the job. The Reflex is a pretty sub-standard beginners yoyo. You need something with decent sleep time that is still “tug responsive”, meaning it comes back with a snap of the wrist.
Yoyos that I can recommend as a beginner yoyo, in order of preference:
- YoYoFactory Velocity - Velocity by YoYoFactory – YoYoExpert - (adjustable response, allows you to move up to unresponsive play once you’re ready)
- YoYoFactory One - YYF ONE – YoYoExpert - Solid, although a bit undersized. If you have large hands, skip this one. Easy to upgrade to unresponsive play by simply swapping out the bearing.
- YoYoFactory FAST 201 - YYF Fast 201 – YoYoExpert - A personal favorite of mine for performing, although the noise is more appealing to kids than adults. Try before you buy, if possible…the noise really is a dealbreaker for some people.
Can’t speak much for other brands, but if you’re looking for something outside of YoYoFactory products, look for a butterfly-shaped yoyo that is intended for responsive play, and under $20.
Probably the Yoyojam Classic is good.
My first ball bearing yoyo was the Bumblebee and Dragonfly.
The Velocity is good too
Some of the cheaper Yoyojams are an amazing place to start. I personally started on a lyn fury, but the classic is an amazing yoyo for 10 dollars.
The Lyn Fury without caps can play faster than any plastic I have tried
I agree with Steve Brown. Hard to argue with his kind of expertise and experiece.
The Reflex, like the Yomega Brain, is only really useful to learn to throw it down. Throw it down harder to disengage the clutch system see how long you can have it spin before it comes back on its own. These aren’t meant to sleep.
It’s time to upgrade. I don’t completely agree with all of Steve Brown’s suggestions but they are valid.
I started with a Reflex 2 years ago at the age of 39, and after a few days, it was time to ugprade. I upgraded to a YoYoJam Dark Magic II(like used in the tutorial videos here, except that is a Dark Magic, not a II). I went into this with the thoughts that “I’m gonna do this”. I’m not great, but I CAN do this. If I can do this, so can you.
The DM2 comes with 2 bearings. The pre-installed ball bearing is narrow and lets the yoyo play tug responsive. The wider bearing included in the package quickly and easily converts the yoyo to unrsponsive play. This means you have to do a bind return to bring it back.
Many other cost-effective/cost-friendly yoyos do this, also by YoYoJam. The Legacy II is an all plastic Dark Magic II and nearly half the cost. The Chaser is heavier but can move fast and plays fairly light.
The Classic is yoyo I recommend, but you have to supply the wider bearing, which you can do at the time of purchase. You may also wish to order some response pads for further upgrading when you’re ready. Because you’re an adult player, I have no problem recommending parts being ordered right away. You’re theoretically more mature and can handle having to order and keep track of small parts. Trust me, you CAN handle this.
Of Steve Brown’s recommendations, the only one I really disagree with is the Fast201. I’m just overall not pleased with that yoyo. I do agree with the New Velocity, where you can adjust the gap, making experimenting with responsive and unresponsive play simple and fast and fun. The ONE is another good start, but in general I feel is too light. I agree with his statement of “if you have large hands, skip it”. The two-bearing package is a good starter package.
If you have more questions, send me a private message or post here.
I say velocity, since it is at many toy stores and plays very well.
thanks for the fast reply guys you have given me lots to think about. can i just ask would you recommend the duncan mosquito or dragonfly as its a brand not been mentioned yet. i only ask as my local store sells them.
I’d say that the Dragonfly is the better of the two.
the mosquito is garbage. It’s too light and will not sleep very long. It’s also undersized and won’t feel comfortable in your hands.
Probably the best bet is to see if you can find a local club or group of players in your area (UK has quite a few - the national contest was just last week!) this way you can try lots of different models and see what you like.
Welcome to the hobby! 
If you are in the UK, you might avoid some shipping by finding a store somewhere in the UK that sells yoyos. I know there’s a couple, I just have no need to buy from them since I’m in the USA and there’s at least 4 places I buy from via the internet in the UK.
I started out with a Duncan Mosquito. Took me well into the intermediate level tricks. The pads do wear out quite fast though. It’s more difficult but not impossible to start out with a Mosquito. Good luck buddy.
I’d recommend getting something else, but if you open the side caps and remove the springs on the clutch system the reflex will stop auto-returning.
I second the Dark Magic II and classic.
You’re right. The Mosquito is too light. But thankfully, there is a heavier version of it, the Flying Squirrel which is actually not that bad.
thanks to everyone for replying to my question. so after good advice from the forum and a bit of reading have decided on the yo yo factory velocity, this yo yo looks ideal for what im looking for, cant wait to get it ordered and for it to arrive. thanks again to everyone for there kind reply what a great place this is.
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