What tips, tricks, string, and anything else should I know about offstring yoyoing?
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Tips:
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Use normal sized string, I know people who think longer string will give them longer spins and easier whips, it really doesnāt do anything but make it hard to control the whips or binds.
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Make sure you are used to the height youāll be playing at, If you play with in a low ceiling house (As I do) You have to change your throw accordingly.
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Donāt be afraid to drop the yoyo. You wont learn any new tricks or combos by being hesitant that the yoyo will fly off and crack or break on the ground, even things like the YYJ Equinox is a sturdy piece of kit (It may not feel like it, but it is).
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Have fun with it, like any yoyo, donāt get bogged down if you canāt do the Arm Orbit. I must have just spent the first week with my off string yoyo just playing with bounces, nothing fancy like a cross arm toss, but the single string bounce and binds.
Tricks:
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Use the learn section on this website, Andre did a good job of covering the basics. Once youāre ready to move up in the world, check out Ben Condeā tutorials. Once you have a feel for a fair few of those donāt be afraid to try out Monkey Finger Design as they have some fairly unseen tricks.
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Work with bounces before whipping. It may be different for you, but my biggest hurdle was bouncing and aiming for the string, with 1A you donāt really have a problem aiming - as long as you can give the yoyo force it will usually come to the string (Think kwyijbo motion) - with 4A there isnāt any force you can put onto the yoyo for it to return to the string.
String:
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As I said in the tips, keep it short, use whatever length you would use for 1A and increase it by and inch or maybe two depending on what you link. Donāt go all out and use a full length kitty string, unless of course thatās what you use on 1A.
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Most off string yoyos should bind with normal sized string, Kitty Normal works for me, but if your yoyo has a big string gap you may want to try Kitty fat. I usually use YoYo String Lab type 2 on my 4A throws but I have used Toxic Metz Thick as well. I prefer type 2 but I did see some really good binds with my Metz.
(What Iām trying to say is that any string will work, use what you prefer)
Thatās all the tips I can think of right now, as a closing note let me say, I absolutely love 4A throwing and hope you do as well. I feel itās the most rewarding when you finally get the whip down so that you catch it every time, it just feels better than 1A (probably just for me).
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^
that pretty much covers it
but ben conde did do the basics as well, so if you want to just start with his videos you can.
And be prepared to run after your yoyo. a lot.
The one thing I would add is be patient with yourself. Donāt overdo it and stress out, remember its supposed to be fun. It will take a while for you to get anything consistent, as with 1a. Remember how long it took to get your 1a bind consistent, be patient and have fun. I agree, check out Ben Conde, he covers the basics really well.
Classic resource that still is absolutely perfect for those wanting to learn.
Also, I recommend watching lots of 4A freestyles, especially those from 06 and before, lots of things that newer players can pick up and understand without being daunted and intimidated by the crazy regens and horizontal grinds and whatnot of today.
Good luck!
Awroof! ^ ^
Haru
Thanks so much guys! Also, would you recommend any yoyos? I have a fiesta xx and am thinking of getting another yoyo when this one inevitably breaks. Should I stay with the fiesta or experiment with others? Also, any mods that you prefer on your 4a throws?
I prefer my off string throws to be delrin, I really enjoy the feel and it grinds amazingly.
If youāre looking to spend a bit on an off string Iād say you couldnāt go wrong with Solar+ by C3, the way that C3 has created this yoyo means it can hold a C sized bearing (none of this narrow bearing or YYJ Slim stuff) but still have the gap as small as the gap on a go big for easy regens.
Some others that I havenāt tried out are - Adegel roc or Whale
If you wanted to stick with YYJ, they have some nice ones, Equinox, Go Big, You could grab an Aquarius on the BST (Discontinued).
In this thread, Dynikus has made a list of most of the 4a throws, there may be one or two missing but itās pretty complete.
you should probally keep the fiesta but you should try other 4a yo-yos
I wouldnāt recomment the roc or whale for a beginner, the binds and throw are very very different from any other 4a Iāve played with. This is a good alternative to get you going, its shaped like the big yo, but smaller with a silicone response. C bearing and comes with shims to make a wider gap if you want.
Link to online store removed. Please donāt post links to other online stores that sell yoyo.\Thanks
-jhb8426-
One suggestion would be yo-yo jamās āBig Yoā. Itās very large, and it has about a 1 minute spin time with a good throw. I think it would be great to start with, because Iāve dropped it a lot, and it hasnāt broken yet ā itās plastic and durableā¦but not great for grinding on the hand. Iām new to offspring, and the āBig Yoā has gotten me through a good majority of the Yo -Yo Expert tutorials. Also, if you donāt like the yo-yo, and donāt tend to use it much, you can always attach a string to it and have a semi-responsive LARGE yo-yo!! 
Sadly, every link I try on here 404ās : /
If you replace the orings with silicone, clean the bearing, and donāt tighten it all the way, itās actually unresponsive, and quite fun for 1a.
Go Big is a great throw