iyo does every trick need to be performed as fast as possible?
as i watch more and more ppl do tricks i see some that seem to do every trick as fast as they possibly can. I’m of the opinion that tricks all have different pacing that works for it. some tricks kinda need the flow or have technical elements that get lost in the blur. also, I’m always thinking about the perspective of the uninitiated. if every trick is just a blur and then a bind, im not confident ppl will be as interested. they might be impressed by the speed, but nothing else about the trick will matter which i feel sells some tricks short
I feel like the mentality for speed comes from competition where you want to slip as many tricks as possible in the short window of time allotted for your turn. I feel like it’s infinitely more enjoyable to watch a player do amazing tricks at slow and flowing pace. As for me…. The switch for my fast speed is broken.
One of the primary mantras I live by is that slow is smooth and smooth is fast. It applies to a lot of things… but it really heckin’ applies to yoyos. If someone looks smooth as hell, they’re probably pretty quick – but not because they’re chasing speed. Just because how smooth they are lets them go more quickly.
Speed and momentum variation in tricks and elements is one of the things that really separates some of the top players for me. Folks who understand how changes to momentum can make tricks look more engaging are so impressive to me, and it’s something I want to learn (and have no idea how to learn except by emulating). Like, when I watch Jonathan Sitanggang I am consistently floored. Part of that is pauses/breathing room, but also:
There’s something to be said about how an element being the “same speed” can be really varied in itself — is it how fast the hands are moving? The yoyo? The pacing? What’s the difference between when the strings are fast moving but the yoyo is static, or when the strings are slow but the yoyo is moving fast, or any other variable combination? Combos that mix those elements up are really cool to me because it feels like there’s a consistent momentum that manifests in different forms.
Whatever makes the trick look best is probably the best speed to go for from my perspective, but competition creates a need to score more points faster and that can sacrifice presentation.
Yeah I pretty much agree that tricks look the best when theyre done at whatever speed makes them look the best. Usually that is pretty fast though. Lots of slack elements look better not super fast. Speed is cool lol. I do think that with whatever speed, dynamic pacing is super important. Being able to speed up and slow down makes a huge difference in how a trick looks and really can craft a dope vibe. Takeshi is a master of this and just general yoyo goat. This video is worth watching to get a sense of how he adds dynamic pacing to tricks. This vid is also just one of my favorite vids like it’s so so so good lol
I try to do things fast and accurate and when I do I feel successful. I never perform for other people. I rarely watch competition videos because although I can appreciate the skill I am seeing I can barely tell what is going on! When I go slow I start to overthink and end up fumbling like with begleri - if I look at my fingers and hand and think about it - it goes flying three feet away.
Takeshi makes so many difficult tricks look effortless and basically embodies the slow is smooth / smooth is fast thing. Like, he makes me think I can learn stuff way above my skill level and that’s really cool.
At the end of the day it’s preference so like yeah that’s cool lol i def prefer when all the steps are still included and totally prefer the trick with the two bounces at the beginning even though the second one isnt strictly necessary…I just think it looks cooler like that. My point is I def don’t mean to advocate for speed by sacrificing any elements, i just think it looks cool really fast and I cannot do it hella fast so I find it impressive hah!
yea that’s interesting! really does illustrate just how much of yoyo and trick performance is personal. i tell ppl ask 10 players to do the same trick and you’ll see 10 different versions of the same thing
that’s one i really like to see the flourish of the parts