Slacks, whips, lacerations; how do they differ?

General Yo-Yo
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I am unclear on what defines each of these trick categories.

For instance, in a past thread on this subject, it was stated that a whip is a slack trick in which the slack section of string is moved. If so, then why is the “Trapeze and His Brother Slack” not called “Trapeze and His Brother Whip” instead?

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the slack moves passively and is not “whipped” into the yoyo

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Excellent topic. This was and still sometimes is unclear to me.

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I’m no authority in trick nomenclature but here I go anyways.

“Slacks” is a general term that contains every element and trick that utilizes loose, non-tensioned string for any purpose, that being technical or as a visual effect.

Inside of “Slacks”, we have both “Whips” and “Lacerations”

  • “Whips” are any element or trick that uses a string loop to catch the yoyo or get inside the yoyo’s gap at a particular moment. The classic whip fundamentals (Plastic, Jade and Iron whip) are perfect examples of this. A non-named whip inside of a trick would look something like this:


Video from MrMatio.

  • “Lacerations” are any trick or element that is built off or is a variation of a laceration, which is generally when you pop the yoyo into the air and then perform a motion that makes the string catch the yoyo in some kind on nature (and yes, I’m aware of the historical change this trick has experimented, but the core concept remains the same). Brent stoles (and all of it’s variations), hooks (and all of it’s variations) are examples of lacerations. Notice that lacerations don’t utilize or set up a loop pf string to be done, unlike whips. Lacerations usually look like this:

Video from Konstantin Tudjarov’s 2017 EYYC.

So, now in the case of Trapeze and his brother slack, there’s never a moment in which you use a slack loop to catch the yoyo, so it can’t be named “whip”. It is instead named “slack” because the motion only uses the slacky string as visual effect.

Edit: replaced laceration example for a better looking one.

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Very well and eloquently explained. Thank you

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I guess I still find the distinction between whip and laceration confusing. For instance, with a Plastic Whip, you are popping the yoyo up in the air while forming the loop that the yoyo will then land on. How is that not a laceration?

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I see how that is confusing and honestly don’t have a solid way to answer it. I guess Plastic Whip is not a laceration because the movement does not derive from an actual laceration (since you have to set up the string on your thumb and whip the yoyo frontstyle, while all the other lacerations are just direct variations of a laceration).

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I’m afraid I don’t know how to parse “all the other lacertions are just direct variations of a laceration”. That sounds like a circular definition. Like, “all the other drinks are just direct variations of a drink”. Huh?

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Does it even matter?

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What a fantastic and in depth reply. Very thoughtful! :slight_smile:

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It kinda matters to me because I’d like to use the terminology properly in conversation. I can’t do that if I don’t understand it.

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Maybe I’m not explaining myself well enough. I’ll think about it and see if I can come with a better answer.

Also, there’s a possibility that plastic whip could be a laceration as well, and named a whip just by it’s visual resemblance of other established whips.

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For me, a “slack” trick is one where a section of slack string is used for the yo-yo to interact with. Like in Yuuki Slack, the slack element is moved by the yo-yo’s momentum and you interact with it. In Slack Trapeze, you throw the slack over your hand and then swing the yo-yo into the slack - it wouldn’t be in Trapeze without interacting with the slack. In slack tricks the slack section doesn’t need to be moving at all (though it certainly can be).

A “whip” is one where you actively move a section of string onto the yo-yo or into another formation. So in Iron Whip, you are taking a loop of string and throwing it onto/around the yo-yo. The yo-yo has to move in the starting position, but then it’s the whip’s job to get the string onto the yo-yo. Whips have that pretty, tell-tale loop which you can see as it comes around.

A “laceration” is a family of tricks based on Spencer’s original trick where the string is thrown aggressively across the yo-yo onto a mount. I agree that Brent Stole and Hooks are variations on Laceration. To me it has a more direct feeling than a whip which is really noticeable on responsive. While with whips you can keep the yo-yo pretty still and whip the string around it, the more immediate/angular feeling Laceration seemed impossible on Spencer’s yo-yo’s - a “simple” Trapeze Laceration is not so simple on a super-responsive Renegade or FH. They take a lot of control.

That’s just my take though - some of the distinguishing characteristics are less relevant now and sometimes the terms are used interchangeably.

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I feel like there isn’t a big taxonomical difference between whips and lacerations, rather that they get named based on a similarity to an existing whip or laceration (or hook)

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Thanks! This topics are always confusing lol.

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Yeah, I can see how names and terminology can change over time to the point where there really aren’t any clear definitions anymore. Those who know the history of these tricks already know how it all evolved and so have a pretty firm grasp of what’s what, even if there is a lot of ambiguity and overlap. Since I’m not familiar with any of that history, I think I’ll just have to learn what’s what slowly over time.

Thanks, guys! :+1:

(It could be cool if someone did a “History of Slack Tricks” video for YouTube or something. I don’t think the history of this hobby has had nearly as much documentary-type attention as it deserves.)

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:+1:
Bump for an interesting read.
:yo-yo:

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