Reflections of a crappy intermediate

[YoGeezer]

Based on gracious recommendations by folks on this forum, I just threw some $ into 2 new throws: an Iceberg & a Wilderness 7075, been working with Magicyoyo Node & Purple Line until now. Also got serious about string & ordered a bunch, never tried Kitty so got some in all sizes, and a handful of other makes.

KSXL works great on the Iceberg, and I’m trying the regular thickness on the W1ld.

Right out of the box, I’m amazed that both of these seem to SELF-CORRECT leaning. There’s no substitute for good technique, but I’m still in the sucktastic category so this is a boon. I throw one of my signature leaning spins, or working the string I put a nice lean on it, and sonofagun it starts straightening out.

And tangling seems less too, up til now I’m guessing that’s partly cuz I naively left string on WAY past its expiry, partly cuz I didn’t use the best thickness to match the gap width. Learning spirit bomb has meant a 2-minute knot untying session every throw attempt, but now this seems less of an issue.

I noticed the bearing is kinda jiggly in the Iceberg, you can hear it if you shake the yoyo. Probaby why it’s noisier, I haven’t experimented with a clean/lube yet.

So a question for all you veterans: after how long did you start creating your own combos, not just learning established tricks? Did something trigger it, like mastering a certain trick or technique?

[SR1 (SPENCE)]

@YoGeezer

after how long did you start creating your own combos, not just learning established tricks? Did something trigger it, like mastering a certain trick or technique?

The more elements you learn, combos will just naturally start to form for you with relative ease, since combos are essentially just connecting certain trick elements together in a way you like. There isn’t an established standard “time” it takes anyone to hit that milestone, everyone is so different, and you’d get a million answers to that question. Learn a few mounts, learn a few tricks, learn a few combos and you’ll realize that in no time you’ll be crafting your own stuff. People even put their own spin on established tricks, like Rancid Milk for example - I’ve seen a few people do it a few different ways, and the execution is just personal preference/style.

[Tempura]

Or you forget how to do any complete tricks and just string together Frankensteins of the bits you remember

[Uknown]

For me, i started realizing a lot of the tricks i was learning had a houdini mount in the middle of it somewhere. So id start combining one half of one trick into the last half of another. When i was learning kunai with chain, i took an element from that and found a way to get into houdini from a double or nothing and that opened up more combo possibilities for me. Sometimes you just kinda start with one simple trick and start moving the yoyo through strings and before you know it, you have a moment of “that was kinda cool. Can i get this to connect to another trick or element somehow?” And boom. You made your own combo.

[Upmanyu]

I still havent got there. I think one huge mistake Ive made is that I learn other peoples full combos.
So I know the combos which have some nice elements but I cant wrap my head around detaching them into combos of my own and even when I do I end up making a worse feeling combo than the original one​

Learn elements not combos!

[Splizacular (Thomas)]

@Upmanyu

I think one huge mistake Ive made is that I learn other peoples full combos

i think ur selling yourself short to view that as a mistake. i think whatever feels natural is what’s right. if you try to mix or match or change and it doesn’t feel right you can always go back to the original way you learned it. impo you could only know other ppl’s combos and you’re still a dope player having fun. i think the only real mistake would be to stop experimenting

[washyjoshe (Josh)]

They’re no wrong way to yoyo. Have fun, and if you yoyo long enough you will find something by accident and have a blast trying to recreate it.

[just1n (Justin)]

I feel like I’m in the same boat sometimes. I have a decent foundation, but I’m doing the same string of tricks over and over.

When you suggest that we learn elements, what do you mean exactly? Any good resources you recommend?

[yoyodoc]

You stated>

‘A pretty good pianist, but if Chopin was still alive he’d probably slap me for the insult’

Well, I clicked on your piano page… And then I clicked on your music… And then I started clicking on the various selections in listening to them very carefully.

I would respectfully contradict your suggestion that Chopin would slap you for the insult..

If he listened to your music, log… He would actually run up give you a bear hug shake your hand for five minutes and take you to lunch every day for the rest of your life.

I personally do not play any musical instruments. That is unusual, considering the fact that I am the only one in my entire family that does it play any musical instrument. I would go so far as to suggest that I have trouble playing the radio.

But that being said, I do have a very good ear when it comes from distinguishing accomplish, musicians, and people that wish they were.

My uncle had a custom-made acoustic guitar that he brought back from another part of the world and gave it to me when I was 10 years old. He suggested that I was gonna be the next guitar player in the family. I left it leaning in the corner of the bedroom that I shared with my slightly older brother who is 12. After a few months, my brother Mitch walked down to the local music store and bought a cord chart for $.50. My mom let him pin it on the wall. When I got home, I heard my guitar playing. I asked my dad what’s up with that? He told me to shut up. He said your uncle got you that guitar he had a custom-made and he had high hopes for you and you just put it in the corner and went back to rollerskating. Your brother bought a court chart and he’s trying to learn something so just let it ride and let them figure it out.

My brother is 77 now he’s played continuously since he was 12 years old. He is not a world beater… But trust me on this. He’s really really good. I grew up, listening to musicians from all over the place playing all kinds of things in all styles of music.

You are a very gifted musician. Self-taught musical school taught, mentored by a mastermind…. Obviously, I have no way of knowing.

But after the first few selections, I listen to, I immediately drew the conclusion that nobody is gonna be slapping you no matter how good you think they are, lol

If you applied the same enthusiasm and mental energy to yo-yo’s, as you have obviously two piano playing… I have no doubt that you may just end up being the oldest person to ever win a major contest, lol

Besides posting on this forum with your related stuff, thank you very much for posting the link to your various piano selections.

Outstanding work and that’s pretty much an understatement. Good luck with the yo-yo tricks.

[Yoyoed]

I’ve been playing for a year and a half, I think I started making combos at around the 1 year mark. But I would say it’s probably different for everyone, depending on how much you throw and how many different kinds of tricks you learn, as a wide trick base allows you to explore new mounts more easily.

[coalmada (Carlos Almada)]

As someone who’s been yo-yoing for over 10 years, the knots are gonna happen so don’t be discouraged by that. And I can’t stress enough to learn the basics, yoyo expert has a fantastic page for tricks as well as yoyo rewind, and really it comes down to practice, once you learn all the basics and practice practice practice, next thing you know your gonna in the middle of a combo and realize you can go in this direction instead of that one, then boom you just made a trick variation. Keep up the positivity! Everything comes in time for those who have patience