I have chosen to spend Edcember with a 1955 Duncan Tournament Reproduction. I
m not sure how wise of a decision this was. The last few months have brought me growth in bearing play that seemed to be gaining momentum. I really wanted to keep at it, but I had already opened my big yap and said I was doing the Tournament for the month. I bought one a few months ago and had a lot of fun trying to land certain tricks and looking for old school tricks to try. But an entire month on nothing but this? Iām gonna give it my all, but I set myself up for a challenge I wasnāt prepared for.
Iām having a hard time connecting with this yoyo. I bought it new, because I wanted a fresh one for this experience. The one I bought a few months back is the understudy.
Nothing is easy on this yoyo. Not one thing. Itās a capricious little knucklebuster. One throw sheās all nice and breezy and you think that maybe youāre going to like this after allā¦ the next, she dies two seconds in to your ever-so-slightly crooked throwā¦ then itās all knuckle chomping and inexplicable knots in the gap and magically becoming take-apart. This must be the yoyo version of breaking a horse. I gotta tell you, when you do land a trick on this thing, itās like magic. Even simple tricks, like Braintwister, are a challenge. Throwing hard and straight enough to finish Rock The Baby takes extra concentration. But when the tricks happen on this yoyo, they are perfection. They have to be.
Iāve landed Split the Atom a few times. Barrel Rolls - only a few reps without missing. Iām starting in on some picture tricks. I have a few extra tricky things Iām trying to landā¦ Yesterday, I tried Kickflip Suicide for the first time and landed it. Thatās a satisfying trick
Iām not giving up. This month is giving me an opportunity to explore tricks I normally wouldnāt and retool my throw (I keep getting a sore finger). Iāve pretty much already forgotten about my āprogressionā in bearing play. I just got a package today (pictured below). Right now, thatās what I want to throw come Edmas.
Retooling my throw is working like a charm. Thanks, Frank
I can actually throw harder and straighter now with no soreness. I even threw hard enough to get three reps of Barrel Rolls in. Iām adjusting pretty well to the yoyo now that Iāve fixed it. Itās not take-apart anymore. When I glues it, I thought I would have time to adjust the gap, maybe even get a few throws in, before the glue dried. Turns out it dried right away. My luck was on, though, and the gap is about as perfect as I could ask for
Thatās always been my experience re-gluing axles. Iāve only used wood glue (titebond) and it grabs right now. I use wood glue because compared to epoxy, it just might come apart w/o breaking anything if need be.
Iām glad I had the experience with this yoyo instead of the Apollo Iāll be repairing next month. It occurs to me that I will have some very nice yoyos to enjoy come Fixed Axle February.
Actually, I have a lot to look forward to in the new year when it comes to yoyos. I really canāt wait ton throw the Baldwin and mill end Fremont I received recently. They look remarkable. I have a few items in the mail as well that should bring me a lot of joy and frustration. Iām very much looking forward to it.
For now, I continue to struggle with the Tournament. Though there are moments now when I feel like Iām getting somewhere with it and not just wasting a month unnecessarily annoying myself with the same four tricks.
Itās a different style than 1a. It would be like saying you gave up trying to use two Unleashed, because you couldnāt do 3a with them. Wooden throws combine string tricks with stalls, which is an entirely different approach.
Although itās different than 1A, from what Iāve read here as well as elsewhere on the forums, it appears to improve your overall accuracy and ability. As you mentioned, Waylon, the tricks pretty much have to be perfection to start with for it to work.
Iāve been pondering the purchase, and now that YYE has them in stock, Iāll more than likely snatch one over break.
Iāve thrown a Fremont, Irving, and Irving pro. I have a Baldwin and mill end Fremont I canāt touch until January. The Fremont is widely regarded as the most versatile. Iād recommend getting one of those and some Duncan friction stickers. Having a worn out friction sticker in it makes the response more consistent. You might want to grab a bundle of cotton string while youāre at it.
Meh. This month is dragging. This yoyo has been so problematic. Itās not very durable, getting the gap right is difficult, the response is super inconsistent at best. Iāll keep at it, but I aināt gonna like it.
On a side note: I did throw another yoyo a few days ago. I got one from the bst and felt it necessary to give it a once over for about 2 minutes. I realize thatās technically breaking my vow, but I think itās only fair to make sure my purchase was good.
So, I rage quit this morning. I couldnāt hack it. Iām not learning anything and Iām definitely not having fun. I totally picked the wrong yoyo for this. Iāll give it a go next year, though this year is a mission abort. Good luck to everyone else!
Sounds like the right choice. Itās OK to be persistent, but to be stubborn when youāre not having fun and also not really learning anything would be counter-productive.
I understand. I might not go the whole month either. just till maybe the 21st. I just have gotten sick of the drifter. itās not horrible, but after a few weeks with only it, you start to go bonkers. i can only imagine how it must feel with a tourney repro.
Itās a lot of frustration. I canāt connect with this yoyo. I spend half my time trying to get it to just work. If it was consistent, it would be fun and Iād be learning things. As it is, all Iāve learned is I donāt like this yoyo.
Playing with a yoyo should be fun, shouldnāt feel like work. If you arenāt enjoying your time I say abandoning it was probably the best option. Maybe you can stick with the fixed axle theme for the rest of the month, throw one of those tmbrās you recently got. Similar style, but more user friendly and consistent.
i will say that anything you take out of a restrictive commitment like this relies on your ability to abandon preconceived notions of what the thing should or shouldnāt do. you might think that āat the end of this month, iāll be able to hit x, y, and zā, but a big part of what youāre doing is learning to come to terms with and appreciate the significant inconsistencies inherent to the one you picked. if you decide to try again, whatever you use, i would rethink what you want to get out of it. things like āfeeling appreciative during a trapeze holdā, āgetting a more consistent skin the catā or hitting āsnap-start to loop-outā might be more meaningful goals.
in my experience with this, frustration arises when i approach it with a full cup; when i take the attitude of āthis is what i want to do with you, yo-yo. this is what you SHOULD doā¦ cooperate.ā no matter how you slice it, throwing a wood yo-yo is about āthe pair of youā coming to terms with each other and acting in harmony. sorry to hear it was an upsetting experience.
For me the duncan tournaments are harder to play compared to most any BC or TK. I think itās primarily due to the sharper edges on the yoyo. The BC/TK models all have more of a chamfered edge on them. When you throw a tournament you can feel the string grabbing at the edges, which does have an effect on it. I have a YYF BAC fixed axle that is very similar to the tournament and itās harder to play as well.
Itās OK to be persistent, but to be stubborn when youāre not having fun and also not really learning anything would be counter-productive.