Ive been enjoying Fixed Axle February and saw that there are plans for a modern responsive March. I think ill join that party and keep the fun rolling.
Wondering what the main differences between fixed axle and modern responsive are.
Also, is there a difference between modern responsive and regular responsive? What makes it so modern? Lol.
Thanks!!!
With regards to play style, fixed-axle and modern responsive are very similar. The difference being that modern responsive yo-yos can accomplish long spinning tricks with more ease than a fixed-axle yo-yo.
Honestly fixed-axle is really just a more niche form of responsive play. The hipster-est of yo-yo styles! 
I like it because itâs simple, no-nonsense, easy maintenance. Which means I spend more of my sometimes precious me-time playing yo-yo instead of tinkering with them. Fixed-axle has a certain zen quality that is unique to that subset.
The distinction between responsive and modern responsive is that responsive encompasses all previous form of responsive play (including 2A) and is seen more as traditional yo-yo play with the classics. While modern responsive is also in this realm, it focuses more on new styles of responsive tricks like stalls and flips that have been developed in the modern yo-yo age (letâs loosely say past 2010).
Modern responsive yo-yo designs tend to be optimized to work well with these tricks (like the weekender and RBC). None of this is hard set though.
I think the âmodernâ responsive style of play is closer to old school fixie style play than the responsive yoyoâing of the 1990âs. I imagine itâs what would happen if some young punk that didnât care about the rules set forth by the older generation of demonstrators went back in time and was like âwhy canât I just grab the spinning yoyo?!â. Or better yet âwho said the yoyo needs to be spinning?!â.
Itâs using the fundamentals of yoyoâing that have been around since its inception, and then slowly figuring out whatâs possible once you start breaking the preconceived ârulesâ.
lol, like yoyo-jazz. 
Exactly. Tricks that were pretty much always possible, we just thought they werenât allowed.
This question I think has a bit more of a clear line than the one between fixed axle and modern responsive. Regular responsive for the most part is just unresponsive on a responsive yoyo. I may get some backlash for saying that, and I know thereâs always exceptions to everything, but I think itâs more about pushing all you can out of a responsive yo-yos spin time and, well, response.
Now, what happens when you take a modern responsive yoyo and modify it to be a fixed-axle?
You get a postmodern fixed-axle yoyo. 
What kind of person would do that? 
This will forever be what I call my fixed RBC now.
âHere is this beautiful feat of engineering with a high tolerance precision machined bearing that spins so smoothly with minimal vibration.â
âŚ
âLetâs just brick that bearing so it plays how I want it to play and doesnât really spin much anymore.â â total irrational chaos.
Youâve encompassed @Slestak75 methodology when modding perfectly with this comment. Just swap brick the bearing for shave the bearing post.
I d say a lot of what has been applied to modern responsive does encompass much of what I try to accomplish. Albeit in the end there are trade offs. Yes, you can bring those halves together and get the pads to do all of the response, but this doesnât result in infinite spin increase. With this method you get more string contact with the pads during free spinning and tricks. In some ways keeping that gap open makes a throw even more capable of handling slack. In the end I feel like the goal of modern responsive play is to push what a responsive yo-yo is capable of. At the same time this pushes an individualâs limits as well. Being able to pull off a trick that people said couldnât be done on a responsive feels amazing and I feel like thatâs the goal. This is only the way I see it and I will gladly be corrected. 
Thereâs a lot I could nitpick in this thread. Instead I want to go off-topic and nitpick/challenge the idea that thereâs something uniquely âzenâ about playing with fixies. I think the comparison between Zazen and yoyoing is reasonable (though Iâd more equate yoyoing to Tai Chi Chuan given the movement aspect) and itâs cool that you personally find this easiest to achieve with modern responsive! Iâm truly glad for you, but thatâs just yoyoing baby! With enough involvement, experience and time any yoyo style can bring you to a flow state. All yoyoing can be âjazz-likeâ, it depends on the playerâs expression. Markmontâs fully freestyle is one that comes to mind most immediately.
In regards to the main topic, Iâll just say that fixed axle describes the kind of yoyo not a kind of play and the conflation of these stems from player attitude not actual play. Thereâs responsive and unresponsive yoyoing, all styles fall under or between these universal sets. Modern responsive being a trickset and/or style subset of responsive.
I was feeling attacked with the hipster comment earlier in the thread. Iâll agree yo-yoing is yo-yoing but the vibe of the people who gravitate toward a certain style of yoyo or play often is a unique subset within the yoyo community. Fixed axle folks usually are a bit more chill and arenât very interested in the contest scene. All that said nothings cookie cutter we all individually experience this hobby different and take different meaning and value out of this toy we all play with regardless of the niche sub classifications we all fit in.
Fixed Axle is a Type of Yoyo without a bearing/Transaxle. The style of play most associated with when playing Fixed Axle is 0A.
Unresponsive is a Type of Yoyo with a bearing that does not respond without a bind. Most people associate this with 1A play style. Current default yoyo for Meta Play.
Responsive is a Bearing Yoyo that will Respond/Return without a bind. Before Unresposive Designs in the mid-2000s this was the Meta of Yoyo. Also mainly associated with 1A Style.
Modern Responsive; A Bearing Yoyo that is Responsive; However (Subjective), The design of this type of yoyo lends itself to split Styles and play between 0A and 1A. These yoyos typically have higher walls for stalls, Narrower in width than âStandardâ 1A yoyos. But can spin long enough to enjoy the 1A style tricks that fixies struggle with.
The bain of my/our existence is our subjectiveness to this âModern Responsiveâ definition and the Yoyoerâs Opinion. We are defining the Yoyo by a Style of Play that is personal to each individual.
We have a lot of Yoyos available on the market that fall into this niche. Some lean more towards 0A while others lean more toward 1A. But this is also the beauty behind this designation; you should be able to find a Great Yoyo that fits your style of play in the realm.
âYourâ perfect modern resposive will play âYourâ style of 0A and 1A.
honestly that sounds like what happens when you pack a bearing full of grease. superlube forever!
this is pretty much a perfect way to look at it
Haha a lot of well thought out opinions in here! Thats awesome thoughts yâall!
Im even more interested to see what happens in March now.
Personally i liked the push the limits of responsive yoyos with modern bearings approach. Thats a very appealing idea to someone like me coming in as a newish player.
Question for yâall. So i probably cant do these tricks on fixed axle. Mayve someone out there can but i sure cant lol. Would this be like âmodern responsive?â
Im working on my black light setup for modern responsive March, so pardon the vibrance lol. I was just curious while i was playing with this yoyo and wanted to ask.
If I were to categorize that I would say itâs responsive 1A.
