I dont know. I dont think it matters as much as people make it out to be. I just think only the best of the best really require one.
True, you’d have 3 replies then. Centering/Flat/Doesn’t Matter to me. It’d be neat to get an honest poll of the majority of people here.
I’m not a very good player and I require centering bearings. I seriously doubt I’m alone in this respect. Whether people like me represent a substantial percentage of the yoyo buying public, I couldn’t begin to speculate. But I would emphatically disagree that the only players who need centering bearings are elite competitors.
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If the poll is strictly for competition-oriented yoyos I think the ratio would be something like 45-45-10.
And I think that would still be slightly skewed a bit since YYE has a larger casual player population. The more serious players don’t talk much and are just posting on IG.
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I’d prefer a centering bearing.
But if somebody’s shipping a flat bearing with their yoyo, I wouldn’t be mad.
Why? Because their bearings are very easy to swap out. Their bearing seats are very loose. New bearings are cheap.
Onedrop is an awesome company with awesome yoyos and is an amazing example of customer service and community outreach.
If I want to buy a Onedrop, I don’t care if it has a flat bearing, I’m still gonna buy it. I can do that part on my own.
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I don’t compete, I don’t swap any bearings normally. I have swapped out centering bearing and put in 10 ball flats in a couple throws. I have not pulled any flat bearings out and put in a centering. I have the VTWO and it still has the flat and it does everything it needs to for me and more. I imagine if I did compete I would keep that same flat bearing in as well. All 12-13 One Drops I own have the flats in them.
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Thanks!
But that’s not exactly the poll I had in mind as it doesn’t discriminate between people who buy oldschool-organics for casual fun like the MMC, Parlay or Downbeat and throwers who purchase (potential) competition-style performace throws like the VTWO, Kuntosh 5k qv or Topdeck.
My assumption is is that different kind of players want and deserve different types of bearings.
My VTWO, Kuntosh, Top Deck, and Terrarian all have flats, which I prefer.
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I don’t have a problem with a company selling all of their yoyos with flat bearings.
I will say though that in this day and age, it looks kinda funny.
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For a company that makes a lot of organics, not really
If you’ve never pulled out a flat for a centering how would you know?
In any case there’s different preferences for different playstyles. You’re probably not doing speed play or horizontal. Also there’s going to be a little more bias for flat bearings in any of ODs throws, even the more competition oriented ones simply because they are made by OD who’s 10 balls are now their signature.
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Why?
Allow me to clarify. I have never replaced my flat bearing for a centering. Have I tried them yes, one of my Parlays has a grooved centering bearing. It was like that when I bought it from someone else.
I do not do horizontal and my speed play is probably slower than yours or anyones fornthat matter. I’m just not that competitive.
I would agree that the 10 ball is thier “thing” for sure. I like them enough to have bought extras and some of the 10 ball flats from YYE. I like them, and have seen no improved performance vs centering for me. Not saying there isn’t, there is absolutely a physical difference that physics would confirm. Reality for me is that it does not change my play.
Edit:
Regarding horizontal… The movements and change of direction etc to keep the yoyo up probably reduces the impact that bearing has whether flat or centering.
Also I think when doing speed play or multiplying wraps in the gap, the flat may give more surface area to place the strings. If centering the wraps stack. I find that they then ride each other so if I need to make adjsutments lime pulling a string it pulls more friction on the other strings. With the flat I don’t experience it as much. Someone else may be able to speak more on that.
I honestly have no performance benefit either way. I am not hating on centering bearings, I have them in majority of throws. In reality I just don’t experience a performance difference.
I can’t explain it either, I like the flat bearing feel. It could all be in my head honestly.
I’m not sure that statistic is relevant to us. A large amount of our customers prefer our bearing. If we switched than they would have to change bearings when they bought one. If we put a centering in, then some would switch it to another. No matter what we do, no bearing is right for all. This is why we focus on making sure it’s easy to swap the bearing.
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Maybe this helps. Pulled to the extreme side of a throw. The center trac and the 10 ball seem to position the string roughly in the same place and rub the throw the same way. I know its not perfect but…
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Absolutely they do. Which is why we focus on making it easy to swap.
Another quick comparison. The one Parlay has the groved bearing in it and the rep Parlay a 10 ball. In order to get it further to the side I had to work it over. And even then it make about the same contact as the grooved bearing. Again not saying they don’t improve performance, but man is that a small difference if any. Plus for me the 10 ball spins so well and to me feel great.
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Another view on this:
It has been pointed out in this thread that we are the last and only company to ship with flat bearings. Some are calling for us to change and to be like the rest of the companies. But isn’t it nice to have some variety and something different still out there? If we were to become more like the other companies, then things were be more homogenized and I’m wondering if new threads would pop up about how every company is doing the same thing.
Just saying, that maybe there is some value to having a different option available. Everything, including our bearing now, and of course Made in the USA, focus on fun, etc., sets us apart.
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Absolutely @da5id. I appreciate One Drop, my go to brand. If ever I did compete and was as good as other, I would love to throw for One Drop.
NOW MAKE MORE SIDE EFFECT YOYOS!
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