Hey everyone. Im new to this great hobby and very greatful to have found this forum. I have learned more in a week of reading through this forum than i did two weeks of browsing various websites and videos. Its a lot to take in for a new guy with all of the different styles of yoyos and strings which makes it easy to spend alot of money trying to find what im looking for and Im hoping to bypass alot of that with your help.
Im looking for a good butterfly style (at least that is what I think is probably best) yoyo that can bridge the gap between 1A and 2A well. I have been throwing a LP and really been enjoying it but i also would like to be able to do string tricks. I really like the LP (i even ordered a second one) but I want to be able to change it up now and again.
The yoyo i have in mind is the Duncan Freehand but would really like to hear your suggestions because there may be a better yoyo out there I dont know about.
1A and 2A have opposite needs for setup. 1A needs something wide with a lot of rim weight and less responsive, 2A needs something narrow with a lot of center weight and very responsive.
If you have 2 LPs already, you’re covered for 2A. I’d recommend going for a dedicated 1A throw next. I have a Shooting Star that I enjoy.
If you’re just starting out and like the Butterfly shape, a Butterfly XT will get you through your beginner tricks and loops. It’s a steal at $5, but you will outgrow it quickly if you want to go deeper in 1A.
I love the Freehand. It plays 1A well but I wouldn’t recommend it for looping. I find it too heavy.
I agree on the Red Blood Cell suggestion. It’s probably the closest thing to a hybrid 1a/2a. However it is very expensive if you’re just starting out.
A great alternative would be picking up a 1a throw like the Sharks Honor by MagicYoyo or if you want the best bang for your buck, upgrading to the TopYo Silenus.
You can usually pick up a Sharks Honor for $10-20. A Silenus will run somewhere around $30-40.
Both play way above their price-point.
So thaaaaaats what that yoyo is called! Ive seen it alot. I bet its pretty awesome but $85 is alot for me to spend on it right now but i may just get it. Im at work right now but i plan to look into all of the suggestions mentioned later today. Thank you!
If you really want something that is great at both 1A and 2A, I suggest the OutOfHand Limbo, if you can find one on the BST that is.
Otherwise, I recommend getting a beginner plastic yoyo like the Recess First Base or the iYoYo Shooting Star.
Honestly, it’s nearly impossible to make a yoyo that does both 1A and 2A well, since the two styles of yoyoing are incompatible. 2A requires extremely responsive, very narrow gap width yoyos that are light as well, whereas unresponsive 1A yoyos need to be stable and powerful, which means they need to be much heavier. Since unresponsive yoyos need to be well, unresponsive, they need to have a wide gap, like 4.5mm in order for the string to not rub against the pads and cause the yoyo to return. 1A tricks are easier to do with a yoyo that is very wide, has a flared out shape to maximise the catch zone and has very low walls to maximise stability so that the yoyo doesn’t tilt as easily, while 2A tricks want the catch zone to be as small as possible, the shape to be as closed in as possible (imperial shape) to maximise the size of the wall so that the yoyo can flip easily when looping. So yeah, I would recommend getting a dedicated pair of 2A loopers and another separate yoyo for 1A. You will have a much better experience doing both styles this way rather than using the same yoyo for both 1A and 2A.
Change your mindset to focus more on different yo-yos specifically designed for 1A or 2A, instead of crossover yo-yos.
The tricks for each style are so different, that although it can be done, you will confront the limitations of 1 yo-yos versatility.
1A yo-yos have evolved so much into more rim weighted, wider gaps, centering bearings, etc…
And 2A yo-yos are more narrow in the gap, not rim power weighted and often much lighter and more responsive.
Getting a second opinion is an excellent idea for 2A. If you didn’t already have an LP, a pair of Yoyofactory 720’s would also be an excellent choice.
For 1A, Yoyofactory just released their New Atom Smasher. A plastic body/ metal core, high performance yo-yo for just $20. It is an Amazing value.
As I said, a 1A/2A yo-yo is possible. But would have serious limitations because the ideal specs for each type of play are diametrically different.
First and foremost, thank you all so much for such detailed responses. This forum is amazing.
I have a Shooting Star and I do like it but I wish it were more responsive and i dont like the way it feels in my hand, its too small for its shape or something. Although, I havent given it much playing time since I got it, Ive been throwing the LP for the most part and only grabbing the Shooting Star when I start to get aggravated trying to loop consistently.
I know much of my problem is my inexperience. I thinks its safe and fair to say that i dont know what I want because I most likely do not. I do know that it like a fast yoyo, something that i can sling out and pull back really quick. Thr LP does this perfectly but it doesnt sleep very long because the starburst is always in contact with the string. It sings even when sleeping.
I also cant do UFO’s because it wants to grab and return whereas the Butterfly XT have will actually UFO and somehwhat loop. I guess Im looking for a good combo of both.
I have looked into all of the suggested recommendations and out of all of them I like the Red Blood Cell and Out of Hand the most but the Out of Hand is sold out. I like the shape and that it is metal. Is there an alternative to it?
The Deeper State yoyo looks like a good feeling yoyo like the Red Blood Cell does, how do the two compare?
I do have a Yoyo King Merlin and like that it has silicone pads vs a starburst return system but I find I wish it were a bit heavier.
What is “BST”? Ive seen it referneced twice but cant figure out what is.
Edit - BST = Buy/Sell/Trade - it just clicked lol.
The Shooting Star is a great 1A throw. It sounds like you might enjoy a different style of yo-yo if you’re really into responsive play: modern responsive or 0A. The RBC and the Deep State are most frequently associated with this style, as are fixed axles. This style involves lots of stalls and flips, but also loops, regens, and shoot the moons. You can check out YYE’s fixed axle tutorials to see if it’s something that vibes for you:
The best news is that if you already have a Butterfly XT, you’ve got a great throw for getting started.
Yeah, first base or wedge would get you ready for some 1A. I still need to try the butterfly XT. I learned a bit on a Yeti 2.0 and for the fools gold price it’s a fantastic deal.
Thank you @TryCatchThrow, I will check those videos out for sure.
Also, by a recommendation from @Hanker I bought some Original Throw Slim string and put it on my LP and it completely changed the way the LP acts. Its an entirely different yoyo and what I have been looking for. It isnt too grabby and will actually sleep like im used to now. Before it would only sleep if I barely threw it which didnt allow for a long sleep. So now i can do UFO’s and stuff. I thought i sucked this whole time but have found out it was mostly the string.
With the cost of quality aluminum yoyos being so affordable and most plastic yoyos only giving 75% (just my opinion) of the performance level of an aluminum yoyo I really believe getting an aluminum yoyo is the way to go. Back in 2018 I had a bunch of decent plastics (most recommended in this thread) and @codinghorror sent me a Horizon and I was totally, totally blown away with the amazing smoothness and extremely long spin time. I rarely messed around with plastics after that. None of the recommended plastics are bad yoyos but in my opinion are not yoyos you will grow into but grow OUT of pretty fast and may possibly stifle you from advancing. For very little more money great aluminum yoyos can be gotten like the Top Yo Silenus or Colossus VI which are amazing if you know how to bind and will be great even if you get into super-advanced tricks.
Troy - Strings and such make a HUGE difference, for sure. Seems like every throw has its own unique needs, even if the published gap width is the same as one of your others throws. I have found, though, and you probably will too, that once you start trying to get fancy with 1A, you’ll come back to the conclusion that you suck. Then you’ll have a couple days where everything just works, and you’ll feel pretty good about it. Then the next day, you’ll feel once again like you suck. I think that’s what keeps us all coming back for more fun (or abuse, depending upon the day … ).