# The 5 yo-yos that revolutionized yoyoing
**URL:** https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/the-5-yo-yos-that-revolutionized-yoyoing/300996
**Category:** General Yo-Yo
**Created:** [April 7, 2019, 1:14am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/the-5-yo-yos-that-revolutionized-yoyoing/300996 "2019-04-07T01:14:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 5
### Author:  [@zslane](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/zslane)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2019, 11:21pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/the-5-yo-yos-that-revolutionized-yoyoing/300996/81 "2019-04-10T23:21:01Z")
If the list was “5 yo-yos that had the greatest impact on yo-yoing”, might that list look something more like:
1. Imperial
2. Butterfly
3. ProYo
4. FreeHand
5. ??? (something metal perhaps?)
It’s hard (for me) to imagine a top-5 list where every single entry is a plastic yoyo, but maybe that is just a reflection of how new metal yoyos are relative to the 100-year history of the toy.
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### Author:  [@edhaponik](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/edhaponik)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2019, 12:53am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/the-5-yo-yos-that-revolutionized-yoyoing/300996/82 "2019-04-11T00:53:16Z")
- Yomega Panther
- Duncan Yoffy
- YoYoJam Big Kahuna (ok honestly Yomega Wingforce was just as good)
- Throw Down Lucha Libre
- Revolution Rev-G
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### Author:  [@vegabomb](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/vegabomb)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2019, 3:50pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/the-5-yo-yos-that-revolutionized-yoyoing/300996/83 "2019-04-11T15:50:58Z")
^^^ Edison would have just said “those are just five ways to _not_ make a yo-yo. 🙂
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### Author:  [@AaronW](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/AaronW)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2019, 8:30pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/the-5-yo-yos-that-revolutionized-yoyoing/300996/84 "2019-04-11T20:30:01Z")
I almost spit my LaCroix at my iPad reading that 🤣
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### Author:  [@fatguysnacks247](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/fatguysnacks247)
#### Post date: [March 3, 2020, 8:25pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/the-5-yo-yos-that-revolutionized-yoyoing/300996/85 "2020-03-03T20:25:05Z")
wow that video seems underappreciated
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### Author:  [@anon5341354](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/anon5341354)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2020, 4:06am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/the-5-yo-yos-that-revolutionized-yoyoing/300996/86 "2020-03-07T04:06:51Z")
Oh I love this!
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### Author:  [@anon5341354](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/anon5341354)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2020, 4:17am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/the-5-yo-yos-that-revolutionized-yoyoing/300996/87 "2020-03-07T04:17:20Z")
This is one of the best threads in years.
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### Author:  [@samjonester](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/samjonester)
#### Post date: [October 11, 2020, 6:58pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/the-5-yo-yos-that-revolutionized-yoyoing/300996/88 "2020-10-11T18:58:34Z")
Reviving something pretty old here, but this is a good thread, so please forgive me!
Although it’s interesting to see things like the SB-2 popularized the ball bearing, I’m most intrigued by the yoyos that sparked a cultural rather than technical revolutions. There are a few here like the yomega brain. I’m also wishing I could learn more about some of the more modern cultural changes after the 888. It seems like the last couple decades are being summed up as tweaks to the 888.
I don’t have any information to draw on personally, so I’m hoping all you smart people can help me scratch a history itch! I’m very intrigued in learning the history of what yoyos sparked some of the modern cultural revolutions like:
- boutiques in the sense of individuals making high quality small, single runs for themselves and friends on the internet.
- annodization being treated as a true art form
- the rebirth of responsive play for a generation that started unresponsive
- yoyos that sparked the shape debate and the fun vs stable debate
- the first yoyo all new throwers bought that conformed to modern performance standards.
- The yoyo that popularized gimmicky finger spin shapes
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### Author:  [@Isaac](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Isaac)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2021, 8:43pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/the-5-yo-yos-that-revolutionized-yoyoing/300996/89 "2021-04-16T20:43:32Z")
I just watched this video last night, enjoyed it a lot (and kinda groaned at the Shutter as 5 but being a video on Gentry’s channel it was pretty expected, esp after the Grind Machine got mentioned haha).
> [@samjonester](#):
>
> boutiques in the sense of individuals making high quality small, single runs for themselves and friends on the internet.
This is a more modern trend I think, like within the last 4, maybe 5 years. I’m not sure what sparked it though, my guess would be cheaper and more readily available small batch shops, not sure which shops those are though.
> [@samjonester](#):
>
> annodization being treated as a true art form
I think CLYW gets this crown, the SB2 did splash ano first IIRC but CLYW took it to a whole new level with the BvM and its acid washes and splash releases. After that, pretty much everyone was doing it.
> [@samjonester](#):
>
> the rebirth of responsive play for a generation that started unresponsive
TMBR was founded in 2011, that undoubtedly helped usher in new interest in fixed axle and responsive play. Drew Tetz was posting kickflips and such back then. For non-fixed responsive I’m not sure where the crown would go to. The original Alleycat came out ~2017 if I remember right but that’s a good 6 years between TMBR and then.
> [@samjonester](#):
>
> yoyos that sparked the shape debate and the fun vs stable debate
without diving into archives (of forums that have them available), part of me thinks this debate has existed since shapes besides O came into existence.
> [@samjonester](#):
>
> the first yoyo all new throwers bought that conformed to modern performance standards.
back in 2006 this was something like a Kickside, Lyn Fury, or Speedmaker. Nowadays it’d be something like the Shutter or any of the ~$50 range metals.
> [@samjonester](#):
>
> The yoyo that popularized gimmicky finger spin shapes
I wanna say fingerspins started to become more popular around 2014/2015/2016? Between 2012-2014 I wasn’t paying super close attention so entirely possible the trend could’ve started earlier. I just remember around 2011 Harold Owens III was doing palm grind binds that are remarkably similar to fingerspin binds we see today, and he wasn’t using any special yo-yo for it, and he was also the only one doing them that I recall.
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### Author:  [@Biased\_Opinion](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Biased_Opinion)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2021, 9:16pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/the-5-yo-yos-that-revolutionized-yoyoing/300996/90 "2021-04-16T21:16:03Z")
I feel like yall are hating on the shutter more than needed lol. Plus there are some more points that help the argument. The point that most people, if not all are making, is the shutter being a high performance metal at a low price point. It’s shape was also kinda revolutionly.
> [@The evolution of the yoyo shape](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/the-evolution-of-the-yoyo-shape/292386/10):
>
> I kinda disagree with this: Draupnir is peak bimetal, but as far as peak mainstream monometal design there’s no question that it is … [shutter-fade-edition] the 2013 Shutter. What’s magical about the Shutter in particular is the way it merged all the W/H/O/V shapes [image] into one platonic ideal: [image] It’s sorta organic and smooth for comfort, but also kinda H shaped for better spin and that nice fat middle, yet still V shaped for performance, and a bit step-round W shaped … all at …
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### Author:  [@yyfben2.deactivated](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/yyfben2.deactivated)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2021, 9:21pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/the-5-yo-yos-that-revolutionized-yoyoing/300996/91 "2021-04-16T21:21:34Z")
So excited to see this necro. Gentry is back in Arizona this week and we wanted to make another 5 yo-yo video.
Only one thing guaranteed…
Shutter will be on the list again!
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### Author:  [@Biased\_Opinion](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Biased_Opinion)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2021, 9:25pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/the-5-yo-yos-that-revolutionized-yoyoing/300996/92 "2021-04-16T21:25:01Z")
Omg YES, I AM SO EXCITED.
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### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2021, 9:32pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/the-5-yo-yos-that-revolutionized-yoyoing/300996/93 "2021-04-16T21:32:09Z")
Well, imma stand behind my opinion. Shutter is a monometal timeless classic.
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### Author:  [@Schtang](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Schtang)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2021, 2:15am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/the-5-yo-yos-that-revolutionized-yoyoing/300996/94 "2021-04-18T02:15:00Z")
personally just 4 - Coco Cola Russell Yoyo - Yomega Fireball (1998) - Duncan Echo 2 - Magic Yo3 Hertz
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### Author:  [@RC\_yo-yo](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/RC_yo-yo)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2021, 3:32am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/the-5-yo-yos-that-revolutionized-yoyoing/300996/95 "2021-04-18T03:32:16Z")
Best thread.
My list of game changers. Keep in mind I quit in 1992 and started again last September.
1. Flores/Duncan invented the game
2. Tom Kuhn first boutique yo-yo. Amazing
3. One Drop you know why. They raised the bar
4. Ed Haponik I was out of the scene for years but it seems he is pretty much the reason wood yo-yos are still popular.
5. Doc Popular I like the yo-yos and videos and everything else he makes. I really want the knife tank card game.
6. Zipline strings. Everyone loves it for good reason.
Sorry couldn’t leave them out.
I don’t know any of these people, but I know I will buy more from them when possible
I could go on forever. There is so much great stuff now.
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### Author:  [@Biased\_Opinion](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Biased_Opinion)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2021, 7:02am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/the-5-yo-yos-that-revolutionized-yoyoing/300996/96 "2021-04-18T07:02:09Z")
> [@RC\_yo-yo](#):
>
> Zipline strings. Everyone loves it for good reason.
> Sorry couldn’t leave them out.
Tbh I think Kitty String is more popular.
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### Author:  [@oscar\_chuntonov](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/oscar_chuntonov)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2021, 3:23pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/the-5-yo-yos-that-revolutionized-yoyoing/300996/97 "2021-04-18T15:23:46Z")
Hspin Handquake
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### Author:  [@TheThrowingGnome](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/TheThrowingGnome)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2021, 3:31pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/the-5-yo-yos-that-revolutionized-yoyoing/300996/98 "2021-04-18T15:31:25Z")
> [@RC\_yo-yo](#):
>
> really want the knife tank card game.
It’s outstanding!
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### Author:  [@RC\_yo-yo](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/RC_yo-yo)
#### Post date: [April 18, 2021, 5:34pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/the-5-yo-yos-that-revolutionized-yoyoing/300996/99 "2021-04-18T17:34:51Z")
I’m hoping he makes more.
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### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2025, 3:35am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/the-5-yo-yos-that-revolutionized-yoyoing/300996/100 "2025-08-08T03:35:36Z")
> [@codinghorror](#):
>
> Well, imma stand behind my opinion. Shutter is a monometal timeless classic.
In a historic turn of events (I’ll put up a brass plaque here to commemorate this) 🪧 I have changed my mind. I am not sure the Shutter is quite as historic as we thought way back in the before times of 2019.. here in the Brave New World of 2025\* I tend to agree with what @AaronW said:
> [@AaronW](#):
>
> - Flores - The most likely yoyo in modern times that got yoyo really going.
> - Duncan Butterfly - First “butterfly” shape, first plastic yoyo. Opening up different materials and shape ideas.
> - Turbo Bumble Bee - arguably the first yoyo to use replaceable response “pads”.
> - Kuhn SB-2 - First metal with bearing yoyo, also first “splash” anodized yoyo
> - Duncan Freehand 1 - yoyo that got people modding, people were creating unresponsive yoyos with them, creating different response options, etc. This yoyo was **the** yoyo for so long, so long that in the mid 2000’s most popular yoyos were the same shape as the FH, just with a lot of the modifications people were already doing, or in an aluminum body.
More and more I think the SB-2 _has_ to be on there repping metal / ball bearing .. it’s so iconic .. and the TBB was really, truly transformational. 🐝
I also kind of agree with the Freehand, but I was not on the scene at that time, and have barely played with it.
\* I’ll be in my underground bunker, with a comfort yo-yo
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