Sorry about making so many posts but I have a question. I’m new to the yo-yo game and everybody knows this and I’ve been buying some yo-yos mostly undersized in one mini. I do have a forma which is a normal size but most of my yo-yos are like a round shape but that got me thinking there’s a bunch of different shapes. There’s W. H. Round, flat, v and so on.
And of course those different sizes you know. Undersized mini large extra large basic. I’m wondering what your favorite shape is and why you know I’ve been practicing a little bit with my undersized stuff and while it’s fun, it’s definitely more difficult, especially with the sprout the sprout being so little. I miss so many catches because it just comes up super fast.
So after playing with the minis and the undersized I realized that maybe I should not limit myself to just smaller stuff and look at getting a few normals to practice because I think practicing on a bigger yo-yo is going to be better than practicing on a smaller.
So what I would like to do is maybe buy one or two normal sized, but I would like to try a different shape that’s why I’m trying to understand why you prefer the shape you throw.
Obviously I’ve asked this before but I would like to know what your favorite yo-yo is. Also and why? And maybe a picture and a link to where I can purchase the said yo-yo or do some research on it.
I’m very interested in knowledge and I love doing research. I also need some help on maybe a video how to do a breakaway into a trapeze but how do you get the yo-yo to bind back to you because it’s spinning the opposite direction. I definitely want to start learning some more tricks.
I’m sorry that I sound like a broken record. I do suffer from some ADHD and OCD and my brain constantly repeats itself. I thought I knew what I wanted to be in the mini undersized world, but I think I’m limiting myself by not having some normal sized yo-yos
In terms of shapes: More than anything, I like to have a variety of shapes in my collection. Sometimes, I’m in the mood for organic/O-shapes. Sometimes, it’s H-shape. Sometimes, it’s something on the smaller end, sometimes something on the larger end. Having a variety is a good thing. Having a little bit of each also helps you decide what your preferences really are. I guess I often gravitate towards “bell” shapes and H/W-shapes, and I tend to prefer something with a slightly smaller diameter (52-55mm) but again, it varies from day to day.
If you’re looking for “normal” size throws that are very different from the O-shape, I really like the iYoYo Iceberg, the W1LD Wilder, Wildify, and Shy, and yoyofriends Papercut and Tachyon II, just to name a few. But honestly, there are so many, it’s hard to pick just one.
In terms of breakaways/binds: FWIW, I threw for a year before realizing I wasn’t technically throwing a breakaway properly (I was throwing it more like you’d throw in offstring), so it’s good to nail this down first lol. But lots of good tutorials on Youtube.
Exploring different yoyo designs is one of the most fun parts of collecting, eventually I found out a lot of my favorite yoyos have around a 57mm diameter and are shaped somewhere like these:
That borealis shape where its kind of organic but lacks a highwall, it’s more of a softened v or H. Linear is basically a rounded H? It has a lot of rim weight but the shape is still really nice to catch.
I also rank yoyos by a “throw-it-again”-ness rating which is unquantifiable it’s just my rating of how much I want to throw it again after I catch it. Borealis ranks really high and I can’t quite place why, it’s just got the sauce.
I thhiiink someone linked this already but this is how I throw breakaways. I find this breakaway technique foundational to playing sidestyle
I was wondering how long it would take you to figure out that only having undersized throws was going to be limiting. I have quit a few undersized sized throws and I do tend to gravitate to them, but they are going to be somewhat harder to land new tricks on. As the other poster said variety is what makes buying new yoyos fun! If you only had all yoyos that were a similar size and shape, what’s the point? Just find something that looks interesting.
I have slowly learned in the last few days that throwing just undersized and minis have limited me and made things a lot harder being new in definitely struggling since the catch areas are so small
The top row is what I’d call “bell” shaped, roughly a mix of W and O. The bottom row I’d mostly call “organic” or O-shaped, but the bottom left is…H-adjacent? Classifying shapes is hard lol.
the top two are what id call soft-v shapes, sort of a standard competition shape. lots of signatures end up looking like these. bottom two are more organic-h shapes because of those bumps on the rim, theyre gonna make it more stable. sprout is a pretty aggressive w-h imo, because of the sharp drop to the catch zone after the rims.
if i wanted to round this collection out id look for a high-walled classic organic without cuts like a freehand (one, pc, etc) or a ditch (easy to find on bst), and a sharper, straight v or w (think sugar glider, something from w1ld would probably do the trick).
when i was new i tried to buy a lot of very obviously, wildly different shapes so i could more quickly get a feel for what types of design cues i preferred but stuff like that will come with time and practice regardless. i think what you have is honestly fine for now, those top 2 are great do-everything shapes, buy what you want to buy of course but id say get your breakaway and trick ladder down before you start overthinking shapes and specs because its all diminishing returns since you have a forma already, lmao
ugh i hate this video so much lol i think it over-analyzes and over-engineers what happens when anyone throws something attached to a string in an arc. unless someone is bending over as they throw there’s a certain point where you have to let go of the yoyo and start letting it swing by the string, or ur drilling it into the floor. it’s like he exaggerates everything to ridiculous proportions and then solves the problem he created. he does an extremely rigid throw that really nobody does after week 1 and then a really relaxed throw. that’s the only real difference. ive seen this video make ppl throw where they’re releasing the yoyo at like shoulder height and losing tons of momentum
i dunno, maybe im just bein a hater but he’s like nobody ever talks about this and i just think the reason nobody does is that it isn’t necessary
fair enough, but about 2:15 is about exactly how I always throw and I feel like I need to hold back to not have killer death spin power.
edit: I think 2:15 is all you really need, maybe I should just make a short breakaway video about how I do it or something. I’m off a couple days here maybe I will. I feel like I could fit what you really need in under 1 min or 45 sec or so
You’ll find that 90% of yoyos are an amalgamation of different shapes and incorporate different characteristics of each to make a throw unique.
Very few yoyos fall dead under a single shape and trying to hard classify things ends up just becoming a headache. You’ll learn what each shapes characteristics are and learn to discern what elements were used for a particular throw (e.g. H shape leaning W).
Overall W shapes are my favourite, they combine a bit of H and V, and sit more comfortably in my hand than even O shapes.
If you can find a one drop terrarian or legendary terrarian they have a strong W shape and a slightly smaller than usual diameter. Easily one of my favourite throws for comfort and fun.
yea see i think that’s exactly the part that he gets wrong from a physics perspective. consider this, once you let go of the yoyo you’ve imparted the bulk of the force you’re going to. from there the string unrolls as it travels around in the arc on the plane you sent it. if you instead release it lower in the arc you can impart a great deal of force before it even starts unrolling. you have to consider your string length as it will obv be the radius that dictates how close to the floor it will swing, but if you release it at the lowest point that still keeps you from drilling the floor seems like the most power you can impart to the throw. instead of swinging it by the string to compensate for a crooked throw leaving power and thus spin time on the table i would think the only adjustment that needs to be made is the angle you’re holding it during the swing and at the time of release. you can’t really full fist it but rather further out in the fingers like you would a baseball
check my physics though please if I’m talking crazy! I’m not trying to argue, just discuss throw theory in good faith
No by all means I am not arguing either, I actually welcome the disagreement because it makes for good discussion! I gotta record a short clip of my thoughts on sidestyle breakaway technique because I think we’ll all learn something no matter what the conclusion ends up being
Coming from many hobbies I have learned that a lot of times when you’re getting in to something it’s just better in the long run to take professionals at their word. Brandon is a really solid thrower and he’s put a ton of time in to the craft. He may not know the physics behind certain things but he’s probably experimented with different throwing styles enough to know what works best. Sometimes it doesn’t take breaking it down to a science. It’s just about feel and intimate understanding.
There’s a reason guys like him win huge competitions. Sometimes I really wish more of the top players of the world would share their wisdom and opinions. Could help the future generation a lot. As is (and I hate to sound like a negative Nancy) it feels like over half of the reviewers and people talking about yoyo are average at best and don’t have the accolades to really make their opinion hold much weight to serious players. I just can’t take someone seriously on a yoyo review when I watch them throw and they’re stiff and clumsy.
If I see someone throw down some competition level tricks with almost natural smoothness I’m all ears. Otherwise it’s just an average guy like me giving opinions on yoyos and techniques that are probably outside my weight class.
Edit- not to say that you should just drop your own opinions. More or less just that sometimes it’s better to follow the beaten path if a successful pro is willing to give you tips. As you develop as a player you’ll eventually come to find what works best for you
yoyo is literally entirely physics, it’s a gyroscope. everything about its play is governed by physics. brandon is an amazing player for sure but that doesn’t mean everything he says should be taken at face value
I’m just trying to say I’m sure the vast majority of world champions didn’t need to know physics to be the best in the world.
Again. You’re more than welcome to approach it however you’d like. I was just stating that sometimes you can learn great information from professionals. Their methods got them where they are today so I wouldn’t so quickly throw their opinions or techniques aside.
This is the specific detail I disagree with because when I throw, there’s almost no force being put into the yoyo while it’s above my hand in the air and then when I pull it gets a ton of power from the string being engaged with the response.
I think I was starting to get this sort of motion with my breakaway as many as I’ve thrown. But tried consciously dropping it before whipping it around all day today. Don’t really have the hang of it yet, but enjoy the feel. I could see the advantages of throwing this way once I’m more comfortable with it. When I first started landing trapezes, I had more success when I would throw it around the world first to give it plenty of time to straighten itself out, so what my hand was doing when I released didn’t matter so much. Similar concept, but a lot faster than waiting on it to go all the way around the world…
I have quit a few undersized sized throws and I do tend to gravitate to them, but they are going to be somewhat harder to land new tricks on. As the other poster said variety is what makes buying new yoyos fun! If you only had all yoyos that were a similar size and shape, what’s the point? Just find something that looks interesting.
