When I was much younger (a decade or so back), I got into yoyo’s as a child. I never really progressed particularly far with it, but I have now decided to pick it up again.
I currently have:
A rubbish £5 yoyo from Ripley’s - not really much point in this thing.
A yomega Dash - A pretty cool throw, but it isn’t very responsive, even with vaseline/lube
A YYF Northstar - far beyond my skill level
Assume I am pretty much starting from the top. I’m well on my way to getting my throw/ sleeping at a decent level. I can ‘rock the cradle’, ‘walk the dog’, and do VERY basic looping. I do intend to take this a little further, but for now I need to take a step back with the yoyo’s I am using.
I need it to be able to sleep for some time, but also be responsive (I have ones that cover mid-ground so I don’t really need that either).
My only problem with the dark magic 2 other than it’s price would be that it’s using silicone response which after being worn in doesn’t really provide the grip you want. You make up for this by adding lube to the bearing which reduces spin time. The yoyojam classic and worlds surge use the O-ring response that tends to be more grippy and work better. Along with the prices of them being significantly cheaper.
for a responsive yoyo I recommend the yyf ONE. Honestly, learning to bind is very very important. I didn’t waste any time at all in learning to bind. my first real yoyo was a Protostar, which is unresponsive. If you can throw a solid sleeper, I see no reason in you not learning to bind. Ive taught a bunch of my friends to bind and most learned within an hour. Dust off that northstar and go to work!
Responsive yoyos definitely have their uses and are a lot of fun. I also like carrying them around since a lot of people will call your unresponsive throws “cheater” yoyos. It also makes ti easier for friends and family since it’s less frustrating.
Also practicing on responsive yoyos will make your tricks smoother and look better.
