what is the best kind of centering bearing

i was wondering what kind of centering ball bearing you would approve. And what is your favorite kind of string you use. Thanks!!!

My favorite is a dif-e-yo KonKave, but I’ve heard great things about gold center tracs.

I’ve always been a Dif-e-yo Konkave user, but recently I’ve realized that a centering bearing doesn’t help much in newer throws with super-wide gaps and silicon response - the One Drop 10-ball has become my go-to bearing now, though I still use Konkaves in the older stuff with non-recessed response like dif-pads or friction stickers.

Definitely a fan of Trifectas.

Konkave all day

Konkave for me.

I like wing cut. They work the best if you like tricks with multiple string layers.

Honestly, Im starting to get sick of hearing people say this. Through my observation, and many others, a concave bearing doesnt handle multiple layers of string any worse(at least not noticeably) then a flat. All this talk of string bunching is just a load of crap to me :stuck_out_tongue: ok, saying flat bearings are better for binds and trick binds? Yea, Ill take that. String bunching? Not so much…

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The difference is feelable. The string isn’t rubbing against the response.

I’ve done a bunch of informal testing (see what I did there!) and there was no discernable difference. I always assumed that a flat would encourage premature binding (and the few unexpected snags I’ve had WERE with flats… but I mean literally a few)… but I was wrong about that, too. It doesn’t make much difference at all no matter what. On the other hand, the centering bearings (and if the wing cut work as advertised, these qualify also) help fight precession.

Gold Center-Trac, KK-ceramic and Trifecta center-trac are the best.


There is one area that concave; or string-centering bearings work best: in yo-yo’s that used them for development. When I got my first YYR Sleipnir, I replaced the stock concave bearing with a straight, ceramic-treated bearing because that is what I was used to using and I loved them.

Almost immediately, the performance of the Sleipnir deteriorated badly. The walls that had so easily missed the string with the concave bearing; were all of a sudden grinding against the string, slowing prematurely and experiencing lots of wobble on the throw. Putting the concave bearing back in returned it to the beast it is.

Clearly, with some designs, the use of the concave bearing has played a part in the design process. Using straight bearings in these designs may affect the yoyo adversely.

Reminds me of the eetsit which used a string centering bearing to fix it’s slippage issues

CTX is my favorite

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I don’t always use string-centering bearings because only certain yo-yos benefit from them in my opinion, but when I do I like CTX’s and KK’s. (for example, it just wouldn’t make sense to me to put in a KK ceramic in my floaty M10, whereas it makes perfect sense to put it in my Prestige).

The Prestige is amazing with a wing cut.

Thanks for the info. But why do gold plated ball bearings help play. and is the new ds bearing any good.

I like a center trac bearing with kitty regular poly string. The center trac can get a bit loud though. I still need to try that kitty string 1.5 nylon.

The DS bearing is veeeeerry good!

I have tried them all. My favorite is still the ceramic kk. Although my c22 (favorite throw) has a gold center trac in it, this is because I just don’t have a ckk anymore. Lol

I personally do feel that kks cause a little backspin issue with multiple layers. This may just be for me. I have been throwing long enough to know how they react and am capable of compensating.

Okay does the terrapin delta cut ceramic ball bearing any good