It’s all about material for the near future I think.
Titanium yoyos will become cheaper and there will be more colouring methods for them.
There will be possibly be yoyos that use hardware that deviates from A/C bearing and response setup.
I do think 0A will gain more and more traction with more models being released for that discipline.
Who knows, really! It’s an exciting thought.
But do you think that there will be huge innovations in yoyo designs? I think there will always be innovations but I’m no visionary so I have no idea what they could be. Maybe yoyos will remain pretty much the same but the tricks of 30 years in the future will make today’s most technically complex tricks seem very elementary.
New trick development drives yoyo design. You will see the occasional experimental design, but it won’t find large-scale traction with players unless the design allows them to do tricks that other yoyos don’t (or do but not as easily). Innovations don’t last long in a vacuum, and so as tricks evolve, so too will yoyo designs. For instance, the need for yoyos to perform better in horizontal play has driven quite a number of current design trends. If top tier players start inventing tricks that present designs are sub-optimal for, they will ask their sponsors to design something new, and those innovations will trickle down to mainstream yoyos. But it is rare that a design change that doesn’t address some particular need lasts very long or spreads very wide.
As soom as I started reading your reply I thought of horizontal and then you hit on it. Maybe standard specs normal 1a metal yoyos are not the best for horizontal. Maybe a visionary will develop a yoyo geared toward horizontal.
Is that really all that necessary though? What would Gentry Stein say to the claim that there are no mainstream monometal yoyos good for–or “geared towards”–horizontal play?
idk, I think that the advent of unresponsive yoyo scratched a BIG itch in the minds of yoyoers. People were always looking for that yoyo that spun longer so that they could land longer sleeper combos. And then bam (after a few years of modding Freehands and the like), they had it, and now people are able to do 1+minute combos.
This is the part where I am dubious. The current meta tricks of the pros take many many hours of endless practice to be able to perform, and other than some mechanically assisted yoyo, I can’t imagine a yoyo design that would somehow make complex slacks into a form of an elementary trick. This is no longer the time that we are building on the backs of guys like Tom Smothers.
I do think that the meta will change substantially, and you will have different styles, but if yoyos are to remain mechanically unassisted (with how the brain yoyos fell out of favor, I imagine it will), I envision only minor changes like the type we have been seeing in the past few years. I think Glen might be right about a 0A resurgence of some sort, but we are already seeing it. It will remain a yoyo niche, but hopefully a growing one as there is a lot to explore in a really good responsive (or even semi-responsive) yoyo.
Came to full on realization today that I must be quite the fan of 66% yoyos. I think the only one I don’t have is the Stealth Ogre. I try not to think about how much I’ve spent on getting the rest of the models but in the end I look at what keeps me happy…and they’ve done an excellent job doing that 
Apart from my BST stuff I really haven’t been active here a lot. But I am in the YYE Discord which is much more active than it was a half year ago. I’ve had (and still do) a lot of personal stuff going on that’s been tough for me.
Anyway, I wanted to talk about this phenomenon that I think may actually be connected to my not doing so great in life lately. I’ve had specific preferences for yo-yos for a while now, and as my life got more and more chaotic I’ve noticed I really just don’t want to play most of my yo-yos.
Not that I don’t want to yo-yo, but I have like 3-5 yo-yos max that I actually use regularly now. I’ll try other stuff but will put down after a few throws. The issue is yoyoing has pivoted to more of a meditative act for me given my challenges I’m dealing with. So when I yo-yo I’m trying to get out of my headspace and only focus on the act. When I’m using a yo-yo now if it feels off in anyway that takes me out of the flow state, whether it’s the specs or shape or how the weight distribution affects the feel, I just don’t use that yo-yo.
This is why I’m down to, excluding stuff I’m selling or picked up years ago, like 12 yo-yos that aren’t loopers or off string or holdovers from years ago that I have to have and don’t play with.
It’s kind of nice. I’m not checking for new releases or sweating drop dates. I am more and more attached to the yo-yos i do use, which makes the act more enjoyable with those yo-yos. My separation from the more material aspect of yo-yos also kind of coincided with my becoming jaded towards a lot of the elements that are popular right now, and less worried about whether the stuff I’m doing is “good” compared to meta stuff. My favorite yoyoer has probably become Chris Rodrigues and i really gravitate towards unique creative stuff that isn’t just another variation on a popular meta element or trick.
Sorry for the essay, just had some thoughts to share.
Dude I can totally relate. I haven’t set out to learn a new trick in months, but I still play everyday because the flow just gives me a calm that can eliminate the toll of my long stressful days at work trying to develop my career. Depending on the day I vibe with very contrasting types of yoyos, be it a wooden fixie or just yesterday the BMCadence.
And when I think back on the reason why I wanted to get back into yoyo a few years back, this is basically it. I really only wanted to learn a few basic tricks so I can low-key chill with a yoyo, or be just good enough to show off if I want to. As it turns out, im better than I expected to be, but still kind of suck. I am forever in between that intermediate skill level that separates those that can effortlessly do Kwyjiibo, and those that nail Spirit Bombs. But I honestly don’t care, since I have so much fun stringing the elements I know together in various different ways that I can just get lost in the flow for hours (if I had that time, lol).
As for buying yoyos, I still do it, but much less frequently than I was. I now tend to focus on high end niche yoyos that fill the holes in my collection rather than drooling over every cool new release that comes out. I still drool, but don’t buy quite as much, lol.
I think part of the problem with learning new stuff for me is, while I can appreciate the complexity involved, a lot of “meta” tricks are just boring to me.
That’s why I mentioned Chris Rodrigues (kalani on ig) because his tricks come closer to representing what yoyoing means to me. There’s so much body movement and exaggerated motion going on in his tricks, as opposed to tricks where your arms are essentially locked and you’re just manipulating string tension and slack in between your hands.
It’s somewhere between the “bangers” and meta tech but entirely refreshing and encouraging in the context of where the trick zeitgeist at the current time.
It helped me get out of the trap of comparison in regards to my tricks, where different is not the same as not good.
I’m not a huge fan of “tech” play either. I appreciate it for how challenging it is to master, but like you @Durfee I have a limited appetite for it.
Having said that, when watching competitions like the Worlds finals, it is pretty evident that all that noodly tech stuff is only one small part of a top-tier routine. Why some players concentrate on just that one thing so much is a bit beyond me, but at least I take some solace in the knowledge that it doesn’t completely dominate the current meta.
Love his Style, was just watching this on repeat the other day;
He comes from a Kendama background, so his flow has a lot of movement;
I’m not a massive fan of super dense tech either. I tend to get more joy out of silly grinds, simple speed combos, and flowy nonsense (sometimes I do a pinwheel between every mount because it FEELS like it flows better 
). Maybe I’m just calling myself out for being bad at more technical tricks, but oh well I guess
I don’t have any experience to judge kendama, but damn if that doesnt look like a good training device for yoyo. His skill in yoyo after only two years is incredible, but when you consider that he was probably throwing horizontal with kendama it makes sense that he could just basically ignore the trick ladder and step into more complex flow tricks.
Honestly these days I try to invent my own tricks rather than learn other people’s tricks, and whether it be a detriment to my progression or not, it allows me to further develop a style that I own rather than trying to imitate. I see this in a much higher level than me in Chris (that kendama background helps with core fundamentals like basic training does in a military man), and I got respect for that.
This kind of makes me interested in getting a kendama and learning the basics. It looks like a grind to learn, and overall id rather the thrill of a yoyo, so im not sure if I view it as something id be interested enough in learning. Honest question to kendama players: what makes kendama a worthy skill toy?
I’m more into yoyos and only have a very few basic kendama tricks down but I see the appeal. Yoyoing sucks at first if you can’t snap start or learn a quick way to wind it up. Kendama I just stop a ball from wiggling and keep practicing.
I’m not a very experienced kendama player. But I will say that the challenge of motion manipulation is greatly appealing. I do many different motion arts(and skill toys), and always enjoy how things relate. I was learning “earth turns” on kendama and I couldn’t help but notice how the manipulation reminded me of contact juggling.
And(from experience) eventually I’ll get good enough at kendama that when I go back to contact juggling, I may think of something I’d not thought of before, because of kendama.
Today marks my one year anniversary of joining this great community. I’ve been throwing just about 1.5 years and the people here are wonderful. Finally narrowing down what throws and shapes are my favorite and the collection is coming along as well. Thank you all so much, -Griffin
Heck yeah! Happy 1 year man!! 
Random yoyo thought:
Practicing 4A is tiring.
Much like yoyo, it can be a very meditative endeavor. Extended sessions of Moshikame is quite literally a meditation that cultivates single pointed concentration. The learning curve can be a bit steep, but once moderate adeptness is achieved the click-clack of tama on ken and feel of a well worn tama will be something you’ll appreciate for for a lifetime.
