Despite the thoughts expressed by HaruRay, there are things I do agree and things I disagree with.
First, the bearing, like the yoyo itself, is a matter of personal preferences. There is no “right”, there’s only “what’s right for the player”. I am of the opinion that should one have the time, MONEY and inclination, one could invest in some different bearings and swap them in and out of yoyos to find if any bearings do make a difference, be it positive OR negative.
Championships, at least in 1A, are being won on shaped bearings these days. Is it because shaped bearings are better? Not necessarily. It is because at least for that player and that yoyo, they have decided a shaped bearing was the best bearing for them in that situation. I’m not saying flats are bad, I’m just stating facts right now.
The point that all you need is a flat bearing has validity. Most yoyos come with a flat bearing. Honestly, if all else fails, a flat bearing will get the job done. Or, if your preferences are for flat bearings, then you get the most choices and options.
Shaped bearings, especially the grooved bearings and the KK can lead to string bunching. The grooved bearings hold the string to the center, which prevents natural string movement in the gap. The KK doesn’t have a groove, but it does force string layers into the center, which will also lead to bunching and preventing natural string movement. Both of these issues can cause problems. The CBC CenterTrac is a flat bearing with flared sides, with the concept being “Keep the string away from the response during play”, which does work, and the flat center portion helps allow for more natural string movement. The Terrapin X Wing Cut bearings have a slight shape, which is small enough to encourage string centering, but is so slight that it doesn’t hinder natural string movement.
One of the big issues is that many players think incorrectly that adding a shaped bearing is going to fix their problems or increase sleep times. As a relatively new player(23 months as of now), let me assure you that this is not the solution you should be considering. It’s completely false. Your throw is the best thing you can work on to improve things. You need to know how to throw hard and straight. Otherwise, all you’re doing is putting a fancy bearing in a yoyo, and you’re centering the string on a crooked spinning yoyo, which ultimately isn’t addressing the problem. While some bearings spin longer which can translate to longer spin times, it’s ultimately the skill of the thrower that ultimately determines how long the yoyo can sleep and spin.
I do want to address sleep time briefly, or perhaps I’m addressing spin time. Look, as long as you can get though the combos you want or need to get to and can bind it back at the end, then honestly who gives a crap about sleep time? Watching contest videos, combos are often 20 seconds or less, but there can be the occasional “mondo combo” that can be over a minute. Most are 10 seconds or less. They key to these? A good strong throw and good technique. In other words: lots and LOTS of hard work. Yoyo is a skill toy, so you get out of it what you put into it. Your success is earned, not awarded or granted.
Regarding bearing cleaning, I am a big fan of cleaning the bearing. It is through cleaning the bearing that I have discovered how many bad bearings I have. Hey, there’s a difference between “spinning” and “spinning well”. and most of the time, merely spinning appears to be acceptable before shipping. Playing dry, lubed or Dry Play treated is a matter of personal preference. Many companies have their bearings pre-lubed and over-lubed, and sometimes greased!!! I gotta get to “zero”, then work my way from there. While this isn’t practical for everyone, it’s what I recommend.
For the most part, I use flat bearings. I like them. Most of my yoyos ship with flat bearing stock. A flat bearing can and will get the job done. There’s absolutely NOTHING wrong with a flat bearing unless the bearing itself is defective. Taking a variant of that, provided the bearing is in good condition(I’ve had some stock bearings be defective and/or sub-par), the bearing that shipped with the yoyo is fine.
The biggest factor is your skill level. If your skills are good, then who knows, maybe the bearing will or won’t make a difference. I’ve put shaped bearings in some yoyos and have loved it, but in other yoyos, hated it and went back to the flat one it shipped with. It’s all about preferences. Just remember, if you’re trying to fix your problem with a bearing “upgrade”, that’s not going to address or resolve the issue. Work hard, get better, throw more, improve your skills. Yes, it takes time. There is no quick fix. At the same time, I can’t stop you from spending money and experimenting with bearings either. HaruRay and myself want you to save money, and when you do spend, spend wisely. Spent TIME improving, not spending money to “fix” a problem that really doesn’t exist.
I will agree that a flat bearing is all you need. However, we don’t 100% see eye to eye on this issue, which is fine too, but I do completely agree with the spirit and intent of his message. Understand your end goal: becoming a better yoyo player. A flat bearing will take you from zero to champion if you let it. Top brands like General Yo and One Drop use flats. They wouldn’t use flats if they didn’t feel confident in their configurations. HaruRay’s sponsor, Mad House, I think uses only flat bearings, but I could be wrong.
In the end, a centered string on a bad throw is a centered string on a bad throw. No shaped bearing is going to help fix that problem.