I love the mile marker analogy!!! I’m retired, but when I was working, I used those on a daily basis!! I may have fudged, it does take me months on top of months too!! Haha
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100%. It would cost way too much 
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I’m 54 and love these 9-15 year olds absolutely shredding. I wish I started throwing when I was 12!
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I’ve had this day many times still after years. Just learn a new trick and enjoy. 
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I hit 54 in November!!! I have to remind myself that it hurts more and I just can’t move as fast as them!! But I can have just as much fun!!!
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10 years later after getting into unresponsive play, I see where I’ve learned a lot but at the same time I realize I still would not feel comfortable competing, and there are better players out there. Over the 10 years though I’ve learned to just enjoy the ride and not compare myself to others. I think it is an age thing too (checking in at 35, going to be 36). In the end, I’m having fun collecting and throwing and that’s all that matters to me 
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I wouldnt be as determined to improve if I didn’t think I suck
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I totally get not feeling comfortable to compete, especially since the “base level” has increased dramatically over the years, but I’d like to offer a different perspective.
When I was competing between ‘07 and ‘11 I was never really competing to win, more so just to do it because I was gonna be at the contests anyways, not sure I ever planned a routine out further than picking a song. Always kinda figured someone had to place last or further down, and it was cool to compare my own progress over the years as I did slowly get better, place better, and get more comfortable throwing on stage and in front of others.
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I know what you are trying to say. “Suck” is a harsh word. When you use that characterization of your yoyo skills what you mean is that you are not as good as you want to be. Who is? I was pretty harsh on myself in a few places on this thread and now I realize how silly that was. Over the last week I have been getting so much out of one throw that I was honestly amazing myself because it didn’t seem like it was ME doing it! I could see so much improvement compared to this time last year. I still get clumsy at times but…eh. Who doesn’t? Every time I get clumsy I better understand what caused the miss or whatever. I forget the point I was originally going to make.
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Heck yeah man…I had a real rough time with this very same thing and it ended up causing major burnout for me.I’ve still not recovered…not sure I ever will.
I wish I could be okay with not comparing myself to others…or to be proud of what I can do…but I’m always frustrated with all that I CAN’T do and don’t have the time to focus on all that I CAN.
It’s a bad attitude and I’m aware of that…but I don’t know how to get over it. It’s so heavily ingrained in who I am /sigh.
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…Challenge?
Accepted?!
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You posted videos awhile ago. I can’t and probably never will be able to do those things. That does not frustrate me one bit. I am ectastic because I can now do things I thought were too difficult for me last spring.
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You just put a bunch of coherent words to the jumbled up mess in my head.
It’s a real thing that a LOT of people struggle with.
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I’ll never be! And part of “embracing the suck” to me is accepting that without discounting the work and progress I’ve made so far. In the grand scheme of yoyo I definitely suck, but that just means I have plenty to learn. I enjoy the grind and its tough to beat the satisfaction of finally figuring out something that had you stumped for ages
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Don’t let this twitchy guy fool you. I know for a fact he won his division in a national contest some years back. 
(It’s in his profile, too)
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Well ok, but you go first.
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Every dog has a place in the pack, that’s why each dog has been accepted into the pack. No matter if the dog can bark the best, growl the best, or just be the best support, each is still part of the pack and valued. So… 
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I think most of us on here feel that we are not as good as we could want to be. But throwing yoyos is for fun and enjoyment for most of us as well.
This is just me, but if I am able to do something with the yoyo that I could not do previously. It’s a good day.
And like another poster mentioned. You are posted on a Yoyo forum. You are likely here for a few reasons. But one of them is to get better at yoyo.
I think as humans, myself for sure, we thrive when we are learning new skills, and start to stagnant, when we think there is nothing left to learn.
I noticed the a lot of you guys are @ my age. 55
When I see someone on here doing a trick this is so fast and complex, that I can’t even follow them past the first mount. I get excited, cause I know that if I live 40 more years, I could throw all day every day and still have tons to learn.
And for some reason, that is the thing that makes me "thrive’ as a human.
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If nothing else, this thread has helped me to realize that at 50 years old, I am not THE “old guy”, just a member of “The Old Guy Club”. There is comfort in numbers.
I’m not here to be the best, I’m here to learn new things and have fun. Hopefully, today I’m a better person than I was yesterday, and tomorrow I will be better than today. Regardless of what happens with my yoyoing.
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Yeah — most of the young ‘uns are on that thar Redditgram or sumthin’ (I am 41)
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