Right on!
I think I may try a couple of these alternatives listed above. I’m sure I just need some practice, but no harm in buying some extra cheap plastic yoyo’s right? 
That reminds me, I’ve got alot of plastic unresponsive yoyo’s. I think it’s bout time to sell some of them on this forum!
A couple of comments…
Yes, there is a bit of difference between a fixed axle and bearing looper due to the difference in response. A thick lube will fix that, but the feel is still different. I have also used one Duncan friction sticker or sili ring on my plain Raiders. My EX plays fine w/o them.
Lubing a Raider, or any bearing looper for that matter is best done by removing the shields. On Yomegas, just pry out the shield (one side is sufficient) and throw it away. From what I’ve seen there is no “c” ring holding them in.
At a minimum use Brain Lube, or any other thicker type oil. I actually prefer packing with white lithium or moly grease. There is no break in needed.
I don’t worry about being one of the “older” throwers on here or people knowing. What’s interesting is how many of us STARTED later in life!
Anyhow, lube:
I find YYJ thick lube will seep around the bearing shield and into the bearing quite nicely. I don’t have any experience with Yomega’s BRAIN lube, but I hear it’s really thick, perhaps too thick to effectively make its way into the bearing. I won’t argue about jhb8426 saying the best way to lube a bearing is to remove the shields, as there’s no place for the lube to go but into the bearing. What I am saying is some products don’t need that step.
String length:
Yeah, you don’t want full length string. I am still trying to find my ideal string length, but let’s just say that you do want to shorten them up. Either to the top or bottom of your pants pocket. Try the top, because you can always shorten it up.
I just meant the nomenclature. 
“Older” might work better for some than plain “old” come to think of it.
And yes, it’s really interesting! Most of us chucked a yoyo around as kids, maybe got as far as Rock the Baby… and then didn’t really pick it up again until much later. 
i might be killing my bearings but i just use 100% petroleom jelly a.k.a. vaseline.
I’m still practicing the loops with my raider EX. I already feel like I’m improving. I also bought 3 new loopers. All with a different type of axle or response system. I should be good to go now.
Thanks all!
Nothing wrong w/that.
Hey, I’m a relatively new looper myself :).
I’m using a pair of Yoyofactory Loop 360 and I highly recommend them for new loopers. I have practiced inside loops with them for about 3-4 weeks and now I can do over 100+ loops. They are really fun to play and dirt cheap ($8 each).
They use silicon response pads and so far they seem very durable. I have used them for almost a month and they still work like new.
For my case I find it easier to double (or even triple) loop the string around the bearing to increase the responsiveness. I double-loop with the 100% poly normal kitty string and triple-loop with the standard 100% poly YYE strings. I found these setting to be just right for me.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong between ages don’t get me wrong, I just feel out of place with a bunch o folks talking about different life worries than I’ve had to think about for awhile.
My life worries are mortgage, young kids, aging dogs, and a back so bad that it hurts to sneeze.
Also, how the heck do you do the second part of Yuuki Slack?
Yes, double or triple looping the string on the axle works well. I really like 100% cotton string, but have moved mainly to slick 8 (50/50 cotton/poly) for durability. Plays almost as nice as the cotton. Don’t care for 100 % poly.
I’ve been noticing that with 2A yoyos, there’s a lot more need to experiment.
Single, double, triple looping, type of string, gap width(if adjustable) and lube methods are all super important.
I also prefer Slick6 for my 2A strings.
I’m still experimenting, but I found the YYE 100% poly strings to be a little bit too thin. After an hour or so of play the my loops become un-smooth. Still playable, but not that good.
That’s why now I prefer the 100% poly kitty strings. Few hours of play later it still feel very snappy and loop smoothly.
Great, I ordered one of those.
I’ve been looking to get some kitty string, I was thinking of the 50/50 nylon and poly
Don’t tell him.
I’d get a raider!
Awwwweee man, somebody didn’t read beyond the title haha. :o
For the Price just get 2 Shinwoo LOOPS
Or 2 YYF Loop 360’s.
just learned it myself. (smug look). andres tut is really hard to follow. Look up ibanezcollector on YouTube and watch his vids on it. He has awesome slow motion
Edit: I like andres tuts just that one is hard to follow. Not meaning to bash anyone