Hello! I just got into throwing very recently, and am confused about the purpose/effect of different bearings and response pads.
I’ve read that whether a yoyo is responsive is controlled by the bearing and gap size? Is this true, and does that mean that you can make any yoyo responsive?
What is the difference between large and small bearings?
What are concave bearings used for?
What are response pads used for? There are so many different kinds of response pads I’m not sure what to get.
Thank you in advance to anyone who takes the time to educate a n00b 
4 Likes
Yes, almost yo-yos with bearings can have the bearing swapped with a slimmer one to be responsive
They help center the string, reducing friction on the pads while the yoyo is sleeping
The pads are what the string catches on when you bind, I don’t know that much about different pads, but some last longer than others, some have different levels of response.
I tried to answer what I could, but I’m not a pro 
Hopefully this helps!
6 Likes
Most yoyos use c bearings which are bearings with a large diameter that helps the yoyo spin longer. There are thin c bearings (responsive) and unresponsive c bearings.
Response pads are what allows the yoyo to come back up the string. It is what caused the string to react with the yoyo (most response pads are silicone) Generally The smaller the gap between the response pads the more responsive the yoyo is.
Most yoyo’s theoretically can be responsive but you will need to swap the unresponsive bearings to a thin bearing and use a shorter axle.
Concave bearings center the string on the bearing which makes the string have less friction with the yoyo and the response pads.
4 Likes
Thank you so much for the reply
2 Likes
Thank you very much! Starting to make more sense
Yo welcome to the hobby and this stuff is mildly annoying to learn at first but soon you’ll know everything you need to know.
The easiest way to make any Yoyo responsive is to add a lot of thick lube in the bearing. Everything else will be a mod, unless the Yoyo was designed to allow for different bearing sizes. Almost all pads are the same size, 19mm, some yo-yos (think like extra small yo-yos as an example), use smaller pads or different sized pads. The main thing to know is that harder pads are less grippy and softer pads are more grippy. Grippy meaning how easily they allow the Yoyo to return to hand or like how aggressively they respond.
There is a range of different pads bc ppl prefer different levels of response.
5 Likes
Everyone has given good responses to you so far! Also these aren’t really nooby questions imo but just good questions about yoyo fundamentals.
The one thing i will add is about response pads. These are important as they create the friction necessary for a yoyo to bind unresponsively. The softer a response pad is the less string you need to put into the gap of the yoyo for it to “catch” and bind. This is good for thinner string and wider gaps, where it can be harder to activate a bind when wanted. Harder pads require more string, making it take a more concerted effort to bind in wide yoyos. On the other hand, they work well in narrower-gapped yoyos or if you simply want a yoyo to not be snaggy.
Overall it’s up to you! I personally prefer slightly harder pads that are still roughly in the middle ground, such as the C3 purple pads and Modern Yoyos Mouse Pads.
If you’re looking for a more exotic solution, flowable silicone is a possible candidate for you too.
In short soft pads=grippy, hard pads=slippy
2 Likes
Not all yoyos are designed to accomodate an axle length other than the one it comes with so you may not be able to put a thin bearing or wide bearing on a yoyo that was specifically designed to be responsive or unresponsive. Some manufacturers specify if bearings can be switched without changing the axle.
1 Like