I always thought 5A looked really cool, and then I learned some stuff. It just gets cooler and cooler when you realize how hard even the basics are compared to, say, 1A. I find 1A entertaining at an extremely high level (like, top 50 players in the world) but the fundamental tricks (the stuff posted in the tutorials here for instance) I usually find really tedious to learn and relatively dull to practice.
I’m trying to learn 4A and 3A but with the former just know the fundamentals and with the latter am just at the point where I’m relearning tricks left-handed. 3A is freaking hard. 2A just seems super repetitious and as a category it’s pretty stagnant. People are still doing most of the same tricks they were doing 10 years ago, and some of the yo-yos in use have been out for 20!
So? Sure there’s not as much innovation in 2A (at least from what I’ve seen), but just because a design hasn’t really been improved on for a couple of decades doesn’t make it any less relevant. 2A tends to lend itself to simple, center-weighted designs, so that the yoyo flips over easier on each revolution.
That said, 2A is probably my least favorite to watch, but I definitely want to learn to do it someday. Can’t even loop one yoyo, much less two. =P
Well part of what draws me to a particular style is the yo-yos, and the relative lack of innovation in looping yo-yos is a detriment in that regard. I understand the reasons for the lack of innovation, though. And the lack of innovation extends to the routines, compared to what is happening in other styles.
I can do basic 2A stuff. It’s not as fun as you might think.
This is all just my opinion. The OP asked about people’s favorite (and presumably least favorite) styles. Most people just posted their favorites. I supplied some reasons. Even questionable reasons are better than no reasons.
History supports my opinion, though, and I expect it will continue to support it. 2A used to be the most popular style by far, but its popularity has declined dramatically over the years. I expect this pattern to continue. I predict in 10 years 2A will be the least popular style, if it isn’t already.
I’d have to argue that 3a is the least popular style due to the difficulty of getting to a contending level(contests). Tons of yoers can at least do basic loops with one hand, you just don’t see people putting them 2a’ing in a vid very often
Yeah I agree with you, but since 3A is a newer style people haven’t had as long to get to that level. I think in 10 years the average technical skill of 3A players will be much better, while the popularity of 2A will continue to decline. I could be wrong, but as a gambler I’d take action that 2A will be less popular than 3A in 10 years.
Difficulty hurdles are certainly a major factor in determining a style’s popularity, though. Possibly the biggest, but not for me. The difficulty of 3A is part of what makes me want to learn it, but it is really hard unless you’re naturally ambidextrous.