# What makes a good yoyo **URL:** \ **Category:** General Yo-Yo\ **Created:** [December 11, 2019, 3:22am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/what-makes-a-good-yoyo/311883 "2019-12-11T03:22:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Karbankers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Karbankers](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Karbankers)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 3:22am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/what-makes-a-good-yoyo/311883/1 "2019-12-11T03:22:39Z")
So for some reason I have this fixed mindset when it comes to buying yo-yos, i am always hesitant to buy a yoyo because I always think there might be a better option that I am unaware of.so how do I stop having that mindset. And can any yoyo do basically any trick? Kinda confused on that. ---
**Author:** ![FrankieJR](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/frankiejr/32/74848_2.png) [@FrankieJR](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/FrankieJR)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 3:30am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/what-makes-a-good-yoyo/311883/2 "2019-12-11T03:30:14Z")
I honestly think there are players who can answer this better than me, but it really comes down to preference and style. Some yoyos have better designs for horizontal play or stronger spin time, but it really boils down to what YOU are most comfortable with. That is why there really is no “BEST YOYO” . You can try 100 yoyos and next month your favorites might even change. I have fallen in love with yoyos and ended up selling them once I found other options I preferred . I am only speaking on personal experience. I dont know how long you have been throwing, but I have been yoyoing for maybe 4 months. Over the course of my practice, I have noticed that my preferences change. My favorites change. Sometimes I do better with some shapes over others. At the end of the day …just HAVE FUN! try new things. Buy what you can afford and what appeals to YOU. Not just what others say to buy. This hobby is all about fun and enjoyment. ---
**Author:** ![Karbankers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Karbankers](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Karbankers)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 3:37am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/what-makes-a-good-yoyo/311883/3 "2019-12-11T03:37:45Z")
Thanks bro I’ll take that into consideration ---
**Author:** ![French](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/french/32/70748_2.png) [@French](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/French)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 3:54am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/what-makes-a-good-yoyo/311883/4 "2019-12-11T03:54:16Z")
To compare is to despair. These days you really need to try to find a bad yoyo, just about anything produced and sold is pretty darn good. This is where personal preference comes in. You need to figure out what characteristics make you prefer one yoyo over another. A good yoyo is one you want to play with. Any modern yoyo from Replay Pro to Draupnir can do any trick you can do. As some have already said, the biggest differences are certain shapes and weight distributions lend themselves to different play characteristics. If you get caught in the “I need the latest and greatest” you will always be chasing the next release. There isn’t anything wrong with that, if your financial situation supports it. However, you need to remember, yoyos don’t come with pre-installed tricks. If I am not consistent with say, Trapeze, I could buy the most amazing yoyo made of unobtanium, unicorn horn and angel wings, but, it won’t magically make me always hit trapeze (or any other trick). To get better, you need to put in the practice time. ---
**Author:** ![twitch77](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/twitch77/32/60219_2.png) [@twitch77](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/twitch77)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 4:04am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/what-makes-a-good-yoyo/311883/5 "2019-12-11T04:04:52Z")
> [@Karbankers](#): > > And can any yoyo do basically any trick? Pretty much yes. It’s really not so much the yo-yo…it’s the person using the yoyo. I recently saw someone post a video on these forums of him performing a pretty complicated and difficult string trick with a $5 Butterfly XT. @Gentry_Stein won the 2015 National Yo-Yo Contest with a $15 plastic Replay Pro. It’s FAR more about the player than it is the yoyo. The yoyo doesn’t perform the tricks. The player does. A nice quality, high performing yo-yo will make things easier…but it’s still up to us to put in the time and effort to get good. > [@Karbankers](#): > > i am always hesitant to buy a yoyo because I always think there might be a better option that I am unaware of. I totally get this! This makes a lot of sense! There’s SO many options available now…it can totally be overwhelming, and I so get that you want to get the best you can with the money you’re spending. Wish I could help you with this. I base my decisions on which yo-yo to buy based on a lot of things. The way they look plays a big role for me personally, but I also watch video reviews online, or ask others what they think, or read other’s opinions about the yos on the forums and elsewhere (like reddit and facebook). ---
**Author:** ![Karbankers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Karbankers](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Karbankers)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 4:18am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/what-makes-a-good-yoyo/311883/6 "2019-12-11T04:18:15Z")
Bro the amount of times you’ve helped me so much I’m honestly thankful man, thank you. Alright so whenever I see something I like I’m gonna go ahead and buy it ---
**Author:** ![Karbankers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Karbankers](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Karbankers)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 4:18am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/what-makes-a-good-yoyo/311883/7 "2019-12-11T04:18:26Z")
Totally understand thanks alot ---
**Author:** ![twitch77](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/twitch77/32/60219_2.png) [@twitch77](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/twitch77)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 4:28am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/what-makes-a-good-yoyo/311883/8 "2019-12-11T04:28:13Z")
You’ll have to let us know which ones you pick and how you like them 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Karbankers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Karbankers](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Karbankers)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 4:47am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/what-makes-a-good-yoyo/311883/9 "2019-12-11T04:47:32Z")
Alright :+1: ---
**Author:** ![gomanual](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/gomanual/32/68987_2.png) [@gomanual](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/gomanual)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 2:33pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/what-makes-a-good-yoyo/311883/10 "2019-12-11T14:33:52Z")
> [@Karbankers](#): > > i am always hesitant to buy a yoyo I have the opposite problem! My wife and wallet both wish I were more like you 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![stevejspins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@stevejspins](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/stevejspins)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 7:21pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/what-makes-a-good-yoyo/311883/11 "2019-12-11T19:21:56Z")
Easier to define what’s bad, i.e. a party favor yo-yo which may only have the essence of a yo-yo. ---
**Author:** ![AaronW](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/aaronw/32/49251_2.png) [@AaronW](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/AaronW)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 9:22pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/what-makes-a-good-yoyo/311883/12 "2019-12-11T21:22:55Z")
If it spins it’s a good yoyo, if it comes back to your hand with a tug, it’s an even better yoyo 😁 If it does not spin, it’s not a good yoyo. ---
**Author:** ![hobbygod](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/hobbygod/32/120997_2.png) [@hobbygod](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/hobbygod)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2019, 10:05pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/what-makes-a-good-yoyo/311883/13 "2019-12-11T22:05:33Z")
You decide the yoyo is good based on your preferences. There are no good or bad yoyos, only what you prefer ---
**Author:** ![TurdFerguson69](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/turdferguson69/32/45638_2.png) [@TurdFerguson69](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/TurdFerguson69)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2019, 1:03am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/what-makes-a-good-yoyo/311883/14 "2019-12-12T01:03:42Z")
When newer it is long road to refining what you like. Buy used and trade trade trade. This way you can try countless throws without breaking the bank. Just make sure what you buy or trade is selling on the second hand market well. ---
**Author:** ![RABid](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/rabid/32/71864_2.png) [@RABid](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/RABid)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2019, 3:03am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/what-makes-a-good-yoyo/311883/15 "2019-12-16T03:03:47Z")
I can only tell you what is working for me. I started out buying cheap yoyo’s and would easily get frustrated with short spin times. Yes, pro’s can do a lot with them. Beginners who are still working out kinks in the throw have more difficulty. I picked up a One Drop Deep State and felt like I had been let out of a cage. I’m getting much better spin time. So should the Deep State be my only yoyo? Absolutely not. I still throw the others because of the differences in shape and size. They are far from perfect, but they have had an affect. Lately I’ve been thinking what to move to after the Deep State and my time with those cheap yoyo’s are helping me make an informed decision. I like the shape of the One, but I want size closer to the Replay. I would not know that if I had not spent time with a variety of cheap yoyo’s. Will I dumped the Deep State when I find my “perfect” yoyo? Nope. My next good throw will be too big to fit in my pocket. The Deep State travels really well. It will always be with me. ---
**Author:** ![French](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/french/32/70748_2.png) [@French](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/French)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2019, 3:10am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/what-makes-a-good-yoyo/311883/16 "2019-12-16T03:10:31Z")
My experience is once I got some skill, the cheap yoyos became so much better. It is probably the same with most hobbies, there is a minimum price of admission for quality, after that, it is diminishing returns.