I’m not sure why this continues to be treated like a controversial topic. It’s been pretty clear that many top competitors prefer string-centering bearings because they offer a performance advantage, from Yuuki to Mickey to Jensen to pros in this thread. It isn’t the arbitrary preference it’s being made out to be. Flat bearings are still nice, though.
I’d really be interested to see how it compares in other styles of throws
Double dragon being the most interesting because I would think a string centering bearing would take away from that performance. There’s also 4A which I don’t think a string centering bearing is popular in but I could be wrong.
I don’t see why this would need to be treated like a controversial topic.
I bet the professionals do things the same way I do, except a whole lot better:
Find the bearing you like best in a yoyo and then stick with it.
I’d be interested in reading who uses what, but it’s not like it’s really all that important.
My faves are the Dif-e-Yo Koncaves and Buddha Ripples. 10 balls are great for flat bearings. I like Center Tracs too, but I find that their quality is too variable.
I’m no pro, but my favorites are Dif-E-Yo Kon-Kaves and a (lubed) CenterTrac X. And is augie Augie fash. That mans is my Idol
Very well said.
When it comes to bearings, I prefer flats, with my top three being the 10-Ball, CORE Bearing, and AIGR. I am very vocal about the fact that I do not like string centering bearings because I find the way they bunch the string and impact binds do not work well for me.
Notice, the key words in that paragraph above are ‘I’ and ‘me’. This is all a personal preference, if a player prefers a string centering bearing then that is fine. Bearings and string are the two most subjective parts of yo-yo play. I have said in the past that if you line up ten players and ask them their bearing and string preference you will most likely get 10 completely different answers.
The only advice I give new players is try many and pick the one right for you. Don’t go out and get the same setup as your favorite pro player, that is like getting a pair of Air Jordans because you want to be like Mike. Neither is going to magically give you the skills. It will take practice so just have fun and go throw.
This is called a “Straw Man Argument”. ALL people would agree that $30 is a lot of money, and a great many of those would use the word “ridiculous”, too. Thus, the Straw Man that has been put up is successfully knocked down. 
However, the incredible majority of such bearings are NOT $30. I paid $14.95 for a pack of 4 Whipples. $20 gets you 4 Ripples. Trifectas which are considered on the “pricier” side are $14. Many of these profiled bearings come with the yoyo, so switching them out for a flat by OD or whoever is costing you $8 (which is more expensive than some centering bearings).
My only intention here is to take note the straw man argument and mention that it’s therefore an invalid point…
saintrobyn: I got a CORE bearing and had it spinning to perfection! Amazing bearing that I planned on swapping from throw to throw from time to time. I made a yoyo trade this weekend and sent the CORE out with it by accident. >_< Guess what I’ll be ordering…
And you can also go with chinese bearings, high quality trifecta or 10ball konkave around 2-3$ each.
it doesn’t matter! there are no tricks that are 100% bearing-dependent. honestly, i never know what’s inside my yo-yos and really only think about my bearings when they get loud 'cause i’ve been banging my yo-yos on the ground too much. the most important quality for me is quietness.
i’ve also heard the argument that concave bearings make learning certain 3A tricks a little easier, which i could see… but developing a good, strong throw is infinitely more important.
having said that: you gotta use what makes you happy, and if setting up a killer gold-plated ceramic 19-ball concave diamond-encrusted sleep machine does it for you then that’s totally what you should be doing.
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That is what I meant, these words of wisdom.
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Dude, that sucks. I need to price some out soon. NSC gave me the bearing after reviewing the Quantum because I said in the review that I was curious about the durability. I have swapped it between many different throws and it now lives in my Format:C. Thing is a tank and stays quiet.
Very well said. For me, the bearing choice is going with what makes me happy. I like quiet bearings that don’t feel ‘gritty’ even when clean. The three I mentioned earlier all have those qualities so I prefers them. That being said I keep an open mind and if I find a new bearing, like I did with the CORE, then it goes on my list.
The best part of this hobby is that there are so many choices a player can make to get a feel that is Percy for them. Everyone else’s opinion on their setup is moot.
It comes down to what yoyodoc said, and what I said:
Yoyo is about PREFERENCES. If you find what works best for you, then that’s what you should use. Period. There is no right or wrong.
I could go off on a tangent about what I prefer as far as professional audio gear is concerned, along with a huge section on digital vs. analog, but it comes down to the same thing: preferences.
I encourage people to buy a bunch of different bearing and try them out in as many yoyos as possible to find what their ideal configuration is. Of course, as yoyodoc doc pointed out indirectly, preferences may change over time. One should always feel free to allow one’s preferences to naturally evolve and mess around with bearings again.
What I do disagree with is new players thinking “the ultimate bearing” is gonna help them. I’m not that far into this whole yoyo thing, just a mere 2.5 years(or so). I’m NOT an expert. I will say from my own trials in this area that buying a shaped bearing is NOT the answer to trying to correct problems with a poorly thrown yoyo or increasing spin time. The only way to improve that is to learn to throw better. This takes time and EFFORT and it’s not a quick fix. A new bearing doesn’t address any of the issues.
Now, let’s say for a second I was going to compete. Disclaimer: I’m never going to compete.
If I’m going to compete, I want to use the yoyo I feel most comfortable with AND the most confident with. I’m also going to take the time and effort to try different bearings until I get what I feel is the configuration that according to my preferences feels the most ideal. Maybe that configuration will be factory stock, but maybe it won’t be. I won’t know until I figure this stuff out on my own.
On top of that, I have other options to consider, such as the response pads. Maybe I don’t like the stock pads. Maybe I prefer flowable, or IrPads, or Buddha Pads or something else.
Considering that if I were to compete, I’d want 4-6 of the exact same model(I’d get different colorways though), once I find the ideal bearing/yoyo combination, I would have to find 4-6 bearings of the same brand and model, and not only that, find 4-6 of those bearings that are performing as nearly identical as possible. I’d also want to use a consistent response system and I’d regularly rotate through my competition set to ensure even wear. I’d also want to choose a string I feel works best for me from a brand that has good quality and consistency. For now, that’s Type X.
For a friend, I set-up my Burnside and his Burnside(which I now own) with Dry Play treated Trifecta bearings so he could complete. I sent him my Burnside for his competition. Interestingly enough, we both prefer the Trifecta bearings in this yoyo.
I honestly couldn’t give two craps what people do or don’t like. I don’t care how people have their yoyos set-up as long as they are happy with them. I’m not one of those “Flat bearings only” people. I’m not against shaped bearings either. I will say I often find stock bearings to be ideal. Even so, if I am not happy with the stock configuration, you can bet I’m gonna see what bearing might be a better fit for me. I will say I prefer a steel KK in my YYJ Speeder 2’s. I just got a new Speeder 2, and I see no reason to keep the stock YYJ bearings in that yoyo.
What I find neat is that ALL the gear the top playing professionals have, we, the general population, have access to the same stuff. Competitors are taking the time to figure out what works best for them, especially when they aren’t sponsored and have the luxury of being able to use whatever they want to. Again, like with what yoyodoc said, when you’re hitting that stage, you want to put your best performance forward, and you do that using what you feel through your efforts are your best tools/weapons.
When at meets or contests, I may ask people what bearing they have in a yoyo. I may like it, I may not. It never hurts to ask. I may discover something new, something worth trying, or perhaps not worth trying. I will also listen to recommendations by other professionals. I was told by Mike Marshall(with Chico YoYo Company, his model being the HH3) that I should put a Buddha Ripple bearing in my HH3. Mike, if you’re reading this, I apologize, I haven’t done this yet. I did play Mike’s HH3 at a recent event and I will say that he has this bearing in his yoyo and I did find I felt the performance was much more to my liking with the Buddha Ripple bearing in it. I got like 8 of these bearings laying around, so it’s not like I need to run out and get one or something. Or I could just toss a Trifecta in there and get effectively the same thing.
Now, we’ve established I won’t ever compete and I won’t ever be a professional. Why should I mess around with bearings? Why not! I figure my time on this planet is NOT external or infinite. I might as well maximize my enjoyment of the yoyo.
Now, everyone, go out and bunch a bunch of different bearings and start experimenting. This is the only way you’re gonna learn for yourself what works or doesn’t work for you. Or don’t buy different bearings and be content with the stock bearings. That’s perfectly OK as well. It all comes down to this: Are you happy with how things are? If the answer is “yes”, then everything else is irrelevant.
Now go. Either go mess with bearings as an excuse to throw more yoyos, or just go be content with what you got and just go throw more yoyos.
I thought the whole point of this thread was to get a read on what pros typically use in competition, not what people generally like to use.
On one hand I appreciate those that feel the need to protect the impressionable that might otherwise feel that they have to have the $50 bearing to be good, but on the other hand let’s be realistic. When it comes down to what the world champ 1A players use I’ve seen string-centering bearings in their setups and there is a reason for it. I’m willing to be wrong and for someone to tell me that Ando or Janos used a flat bearing to win 1A or whatever, so if that’s the case please let us know.
If we take preference to the Nth degree we could start spreading around the idea that some top players use really tiny donuts for their bearings or whatever. Who is to say? It can get pretty arbitrary and silly sometimes when the p-word* gets dropped.
Have a nice day. 
*preference
Not considered pro, but depends on throw. Some throw perform better with flat vs. curved. For example, the Yomega Glide’s response isnt very satisfactory and plays much better with a flat. Really depends on the throw.
The Pros are using the same stuff we are using the vast majority of the time, and their preferences are as varied as our preferences are. They find what they like best and that’s what they go with. It could be flats, it could be shaped. It’s all based on THEIR preferences.
I’ll give you a hint: Typically, the stock bearing in their signature yoyos are what they use.
I am no pro however I have sent many pros the bearings I do, some as many as 15.
Never mention the names in respect to there sponsors.
The center assist bearings I do require some skill, yet they will help a beginner.
They are somewhat in between flat and typical string centering bearings.
I’ve seen huge competitions won on plastic yo-yos including a pro using a FHZ to take top honors. What is your point?
Honestly the pro opinion does not matter… and that is not a slam on the pros at all. The pros are the people that have spent many, many hours of their life honing their craft. Let’s be honest here, these are the people that could tie a carp to a string and out play 90% of the players here.
Studio 42 is correct, I have been saying it as well in this thread, it is all about preference. Players need to find what works for them. For me it is a quiet, flat bearing. For others it may be a string centering bearing. Drew Tetz’ opinion is the one I respect the most… IT DOESN’T MATTER. Throw what is best for you.
where can I buy?
for me it really depends on the tricks im doing at the moment,
- if doing any horizontal, I use a flat, like a yyj speed bearing.
- if doing ANYTHING else I use a trifecta. best bearing ever. your argument is invalid. ;D
Admantium races FTW