I’m new at looping, and I’ve got a raider EX, but after making several spacer, string, and oil changes, I’m still hitting myself with the yoyo because I can’t get it to come back at the perfect time when I attempt a loop. Is there a looping yoyo I could buy that is a little more responsive than the raider ex? Something a little more newbie friendly?
I’d love to have something that would sleep atleast 10 seconds and loop really easy.
im not sure how the Raider EX loops, but it should come with spacers and whatnot to be able to change looping preferences. So - with looping, it really does take practice. Lots of practice. Months of practice. im sure you’re just not used to it thats why you cant do it right. but just keep at it, you will get the hang of it.
I’d recommend a Raider EX.
Looping is a bit harder than it looks.
looping is very frustrating when you start. Don’t give up! It will come!!! I’d recommend the macarons… thought i’ve never played them. I have heard good things though
Looping is hard.
My choice? Of what I have, I like the YYJ Unleashed the best. But there is a lot of good stuff, including the Loop360 and Loop808’s if you want to get in cheap. They may not be great, but with a fixed gap, they are “no fuss, no muss” and get the job done.
A couple of things:
Manage your string tension.
Lube!! Thick lube to slow it down, and maybe some thin to break it down a touch. Find your magic formula.
I’ve been working on looping for well over a year and I’m still struggling with it. Some days are better than others. Some people take to it fast, some(like me) are just slow, slow, slow!
What do I have as far as loopers?
Unleashed(x6).
Raider(x4)
Raider EX(x2)
Loop 720(x2)
Loop 900(x2)
Loop 1080(x2)
Loop 808(x2)
Loop 260(x2)
Macaron(x2)
I will be getting some Duncan Hornets soon just to have a pair.
Looping, like with 4A, I’ve found the stuff for the “pros” and competition is suitable for learning as well.
The difference is that some 4A yoyos get mega expensive and 2A yoyos for the most part stay very affordable.
And I despise mine. :-X The response is slippy, as the design looks too.
Looping is way hard. It comes to some a bit more naturally than some. I’m just terrible at it.
Keep trying! Personally, as bizarre as it may sound, I’ve found the Duncan Imperial or Butterfly actually favored for myself.
like everyone else just be patient. it took me weeks to learn how to loop one handed then now with 2 handed it’s really hard. what thing you might want to look out for is to adjust the string tension often with a ufo
That’s an understatement. 
Having played them, I’d recommend anything else mentioned in this thread over them.
I’ve always been satisfied with my regular raiders even back before people started modding them. Havent had any experience with the ex’s. Are you attempting both hands? If so you may want to start with one hand, learn the other hand, then start to mix then slowly start to mix them in together. Looping also burns thought a ton of lube, may want to check on that. Yomega bearings are a little more annoying to deshield, but it can’t definitely be done. You’ll want a lot of thick lube, like I said you’ll burn through it in no time. Like previously mentioned check your spacers, if you aren’t finding a good set, try mixing different sized spacers in the ex, small and mid possible? I’m big on semetry personally but I heard good things of mixed sizing from some. Also as previously mentioned; string tension. I can’t stress that enough. String tension. I can’t stress that enough. Alternating inside and outside loops within the same throw helps that. String tension, seriously can’t stress that enough.
Sorry for the double post, I have to reference back and reply from memory since I’m usually on my mobile; like I said with the string tension thing… Practice. I can haz some? Really though, lots if practice. Which also means lots of mistakes and more than likely a lot of bruised palms, knuckles, or generally any other part of your body that can be reached with a yoyo string (it was years ago but I definitely tagged myself in the groin when I was younger.) I mentioned the raiders being good for me, but that’s not every ones opinion. But don’t go thinking that buying a new throw will make you play better. I “try” to go by the rule of, oh this isn’t good enough for me to do X, I need to buy Y! But instead of buying Y I spend the mount of time it would take me to earn enough to buy Y, and use that time to learn X. It generally works out that I just sucked, and wanted to buy something new. Well, I always want to buy something new, but that’s basically every one I think. So practice till you can’t! Then heal and do it again!
Heres a curve ball. I’ve been able to loop a duncan imperial since I was 10 years old. I’m really old now. 
So maybe I’m just a newb with a ball bearing looper?
I’ve also taken all of this amazing advice with no luck. So… Maybe theres extra lube on the outer part of the bearing or yoyo… I’ll clean that and see what happens!
Let us know how it works out, and I’ll see if I can dig anything up. Also, thank god you’re old. I was beginning to think I was the only person not in high school on these boards.
I’ve read/heard all kinds of different advise on lubricant raiders. Again, I don’t have an ex just a regular raider but my best experience has came from no lube under or on the spacer of axle. I also burn through so much lube with looping I keep my tiny raider bearings deshielded. World of difference to me between dropping some brain lube on a ball in the bearing than putting some on a shield and hoping it soaks well. How old/worn is the string? I sometimes notice I can’t loop as I know I can, and a fresh string makes a world of difference. I also keep a few old dead string laying around for after a fresh clean or oil, I throws a few good hard sleeps with the trash strings just to make sure I don’t get any excess on my string.
Haha, yeah I’m 35. But I’m young at yoyoing. I’ve got alot to learn.
I just picked it back up recently, a lot has changed since I first started. Looping was basically all there was when I got started. I got my first “modern throw” on a trip to the store with my kids. I thought it was broken until I hit up the forums. A few days later it wasn’t non responsive enough!
I would recommend the loop 808 by yyf. They are cheap (so you can get two), and low maintenance. IMO they are good for beginners because they only have one gap setting so you can focus on technique rather than spacers and what not. They sleep long enough for all looping tricks and also arent very heavy in case you get a rogue loop headed toward your face :P. I’m naturally a lefty and I used an 808 to learn to looping with my right hand and I believe they helped me learn faster.
Ok, so I did all of the above, and also I shortened the string.
I actually tried to just get some courage and keep looping and I found out that the first loop is the only scary one. The rest of them feel quite natural. I just did 5 in a row which is a record for me! lol. So now my only problem is that very first throw. I must be doing something wrong because when the yoyo gets to the end of the string, it spins way too much.
So I guess I just need more practice after all. Any ideas why my first forward toss is sleeping so much? Practice practice practice?
I started doing my looping with a regular Raider and Profire. Right now I am mustly using a Speed Beetle. What about the new Duncan Hornet?
My regular Raider went unresponsive and I can’t loop with it at all anymore. Despite jhb#### telling me how to deshield the bearing, I’ve never gotten around to it. 
Brain lube into the shielded bearing doesn’t penetrate enough to slow it down.
Side note: old yoyoers unite! There are actually quite a few of us around. I won’t list them all because maybe some of them don’t want to be called old (well, yooldman clearly doesn’t mind!) but there’s a bunch. Don’t worry, you’re in good company around here.