I’m looking for a list of yoyos that have the least impact, regardless of weight. That thunk ends my throwing sessions real quick, so I’d like to look for the opposite end of the spectrum, to the point where it feels like it is hitting a pillow, if possible.
Weight does matter, so preferably 66g and lighter. Being light doesn’t fix the problem necessarily, for example, I own an X3 Teh Yo (just under 63g), but cannot play with it because that thunk flares up an old injury in my elbow and then I’m down for a couple days at least.
Most every yoyo I have, including heavy ones throw nicely until the string wears. That’s when I usually get that “thunky” business. Are you sure it’s not the string you use that has no spring in it? I use slick 6 or slick 8. When it looses the spring it’s close to change time.
I’ve had similar problems with the “thunk” and my wrist.
I find hybrid response works really well. You’re going to lose some sleep time and smoothness, but I find it is a small price to pay. I love old Speeders, or the hybrid Hitman.
Other than that, I avoid centering bearings, and anything with a gap much larger than 4mm.
Easy: Code 1 with ultralights. thin string, fresh pads.
It will have some “kickback” (I think that’s what it’s called) whereby it unrolls SO differently that the yoyo doesn’t travel in a familiar trajectory. For example, when you’re throwing a front throw sleeper, it will be on a collision course with your shins if you don’t adjust your throw.
Next up: Almost anything D bearing with broad response. Radian if you can find one? Square Wheels Rex doesn’t have the broad response part, but with its large diameter, it’s pretty graceful.
Finally, I can “sort of” recommend the H5xChief. It definitely hits the end of the string with no thunk. But it’s heavy. It tricks you into thinking it’s “floaty” so your brain gets confused. But physics is physics, and at the end of the day, it’s heavy.
Out there in the wild that I have NOT tried is the YYO Nifty. I do not know if it is lower in thunkitude or not, though. It just seems like it should be due to low weight and high diameter. I suspect it’s not thunky. I wonder if we can summon Bina to chime in.
Thanks for the suggestions! I would love to get my hands on an old Speeder.
I also have noticed my KKs amplifying this effect, but have found the center track to be the least offensive out of the centering bearings I have used. Wondering if it has anything to do with how much play there is between the parts thereby absorbing some of the impact, sort of how you move your hand with a fast moving object to catch it without injuring your hand?
Thanks for the suggestions!
I am glad that the Code 1 is on that list because I have been interested for a long time, but never tried one.
Code 1 is so good. You might not need the full “thin string” treatment even… it’s light (especially with the ULs) and the fairly high diameter and H shape make it a graceful throw indeed.
Just thinking out of the box here, but what about a hair band (the thick kind for pony tails) wrapped around your finger with the end pulled through and string tied to that. Might feel weird or potentially get in the way, so you will have to try it. I would imagine it might absorb enough of the thunk to let you do some healing.
I know exactly what you mean about the thunk. It’s one of my least favorite things in yoyos too.
All the 2014 CLYW lineup has a nice floaty feeling on the throw with the Puffin 2 being the “softest” in my opinion. From YYF both the Cypher and hubstacked Genesis both have a very good feel at the end of the string. YYR Triad has one of the softest feels of all time as I recall. Lots of others that feel good but these are the main ones that come to mind for me. In my experience 7075 yoyos all seem to have a bit of that thunk as have many ODs that I have tried.
I’d also second what jhb mentioned about string. Even the throws I listed above get a bit of thunk as a string wears out so a bouncy fresh string should certainly help to some degree. This part might be in my head but I feel like CT is the least thunky, followed by flat and then KK/grooved being the worst.
If I could pick the best dollars to performance as far as second hand prices go for throws that come to mind, I’d go with hubstacked Genesis, but Puffin 2 would be my overall pick as it fits all your criteria well and is my personal favorite yoyo at the moment.
From what I’ve heard the Ilyy greyhound is real light on the string. It’s not in stock on this site however so pm me if you want to know where to find one.
Oh, man. I don’t know how I missed it, but yooldman got it right! The Pacquiao is fully capable of doing any of your tricks. You will run out of spin if you try to put them all together into a minute-long combo, but it’s still very capable. A “real” yoyo, not just a gimmick. Yet only 49g!
I LOVE my Pac. You’ll enjoy that yoyo even if not for the “thunk” thing.
Only problem is replacement pads. They’re available but I had a hard time tracking them down.
The “thunk” for me is mostly when I use a wide gapped yoyo with a string that is too thin. The last bit of string slips off the bearing instead of unrolling.
Thank you everybody for all of the suggestions! Totally forgot about the Pac, and I’m really into curvy yoyos right now. That 49g weight definitely puts it at the top of my list. Perfect for a wood axle sleeve and some fixed play!
I’m not trying to make little of the old string factor making it thunk. I’m definitely aware of the thunk coming from old string, and avoid it before it starts causing a problem. I’m very used to that routine after throwing for 4.5 years so I’m not usually caught off guard and know when I’m approaching that point.
I also have a method of grabbing the string with my throw hand on the way down to alleviate impact, and also sometimes put on one of my tension wraps to absorb impact up the arm.
I have found from my experiences two things that may solve your problem.
use stronger response. If you are pouring silicone, make the recess slightly shallower. hard to explain but in general I’ve found that strong response doesn’t let the string slip during the last few inches of the descent, causing a smoother feeling throw.
when throwing breakaways, throw the yoyo more sideways than straight down. once again, it is hard to explain, but for example, imagine throwing a trapeze from your knees without letting the yoyo hit floor, without raising your arms. you might even want to try this (over grass) to get the feel. when you do this, the force goes in a different direction, which I find to be much more comfortable. I also throw like this in public to avoid hitting people next to me.
good luck! hope this works for you, let me know if it does =]
Thanks for trying to help! I have found the methods that cause me the least pain already. Hope this doesn’t come off as rude, but I’m just looking for yoyo suggestions. Yoyos that have less thunk. I really don’t want to try to work around the thunk problem that my Teh Yo has beyond the methods I have already found to work for my other yoyos. Thanks!
no problem, and no offence taken. Personally I don’t feel that the yoyo affects the feeling you’re talking about, but who knows? If “smoothness” is what you’re after, take a look at the C3 halo or YYF 888. those are the smoothest throws I own.
