What should I purchase for a somebody new to yoyoing?

General Yo-Yo
1

Alright so a close frined of mine is really interested in learning how to do all the cool stuff we yoyoers do. So I’m sacrificing the purchase I WAS going to make and spend some of it on him. Our plan is to enter our school’s talent show next Spring so I’ve got to get him up to my level and beyond.(We’re talking high school, so it’s going to take a lot to overtake some of the singing and dancing our school’s got.)

So what I’ve planned to purchase for him is a beginner yoyo, and intermediate level yoyo (Once he gets binding down.), and some extra string.

Here’s what I got:

Beginner:
YoYoFactory ONE
YoYoFactory FAST 201
YoYoFactory Velocity

Intermediate:
YoYoFactory Grind Machine
YoYoFactory Protostar
YoYoFactory Northstar

So what I’m asking is which one of these would be best and why? I’m looking for a cheap but effective option. YoYoFactory states that the ONE will take the player from beginner to advanced, “growing” with the player. The FAST 201 has it’s adjustable gap, although I’m not a big fan of the yoyo whatsoever. I’ve heard a lot about the Velocity being a good starter yoyo; But I have a question about the adjustable gap. I understand it can be tug responsive, but when they say the Velocity can be COMPLETELY unresponsive, can it? What I don’t want is for him to be having some fun with string tricks then have the thing flying at his face at the worst time. If it truly can switch from tug responsive and dead unresponsive, I may have a winner.

As for the intermediates. Obviously, the *stars will overtake the Grind Machine in performance, but I’m trying to make things a bit more “fun” for him. I know hubstacks get boring, but perhaps it would get him even more interested in yoyoing, and he can decide whether he likes them or not. But if you ABSOLUTELY insist he’d be better off with the Northstar/Protostar, then cool. Now read carefully, I’m not asking which is better between the two, or what the differences are, but which would be good for a newer player? Personally the Northstar would seem better for its slower(stabler?) play considering he may not have a good throw or something of that nature. But I can be wrong. Opinions? Help me out here. I really wanna get this guy good at this stuff because there are no yoyoers around here and I feel like a loner :stuck_out_tongue:

Thanks in advance everyone!

2

Gt him a yyj bi-metal or legacy 2. They arame all great throws that can take him from begginer to pro and you save money. Ask him which one looks coolest and get him that one. Chances are if he want’s to like it, he will.

3

I’ll definitely keep that in mind. Which would you pick from my two lists?

Edited my original post.

4

A One and Protostar. The One is a great responsive yoyo for beginners, and you can switch the bearings to learn how to bind. Once he has a solid understanding of binding he can watch to the protostar which is just an all around great plastic, it just plays so well.

5

Alright, that actually brings up another question. I’ve switched to the slim bearing on my Dark Magic II and my Hitman PRO for experimentation purposes but it would not come up with a tug, only during some fast string play. Any reason it won’t come up as it’s supposed to?

6

The lube must have broken down over time. Just thick lube it and it will be nice and responsive.

7

Yeah, ONE and Protostar. I’ve never liked the Fast 201 or the PGM that much. Between Protostar and Northstar, I say get the one that he thinks looks the best. For a beginner, I don’t think the weight will make that much of a difference.

8

what they say about the velocity is true, it can go completely unresponsive, one of my friends has it and it’s actually pretty good, you could probably get away with just getting him that if you want. but more than that I would suggest getting one of the yyj bi-metals like the guy before me said, I have the DM2 and I love it. plus most of them (I know the DM2 does) come with two different bearings so he can have responsive and unresponsive play. So like I said I think it would be best to just get him a yyj bi-metal such as the DM2 cause that way you don’t have to spend extra money on getting two different throws.

9

I do know about the bi-metals and how they come with two bearings, but he seems to be interested in what I listed above. Besides, I’ve got myself two bi-metals which I can give to him when he shows he deserves it haha. And he wants variety so the more the merrier!

10

Get him a northstar

11

The PGM is good but the protostar is better. Hubstacks are fun but you can’t do anything with them and they do get old eventually. He will thank you once he gets into more advanced tricks.

For the Northstar/Protostar the weight was added to add more stability without decreasing speed, it also has a slightly smaller gap which makes it that much easier for a beginner to bind. Plus if you are worried about him loosing interest, you can always get him the glow in the dark Starlight which plays equally as good.

12

So there truly is nothing majorly different other than it’s stability is what you’re saying, correct? If so, It would seem like a better choice.

13

It does play slightly heavier, but I think that the difference is mostly phsycholigical.

14

In that case I would go with the ONE and the Northstar.

15

Variety is great. I actually have all the stuff in your intermediate category. I also have a ONE, which I keep responsive.

Just find a budget you’re happy with and get anything. Basically, unless he just beats the hell out of whatever he’s got(like my kids do, it frustrates me to no end), it will be fine. Of course, stuff can break, but we’re talking about something meant to be thrown around. Anything here in the YYE store is good stuff.

If I had my say in what you’re planning:

ONE to begin with, then Protostar. I think the Northstar, which I like might be too heavy for now. The PGM is fun, but kinda “niche/gimmick” because of the hubstacks. It’s a good player, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a good intro to hubstacks. The stacks make noise and can cause some extra vibe because of more moving parts. The Protostar has a bigger catch area. The Northstar is just a heavier Protostar.

As far as “stacks getting old”, well, some people get bored with it fast, others love it. YYF puts them on some decent priced metals, so obviously there’s market for it and clearly enough people like it to justify the models to continue to be produced. Most people don’t know you can grab the side of the yoyo, so the “wow factor” of having something like a PGM is a neat surprise.

One of my kids has a ONE(well, the two that throw do), and one has a Protostar he’s working towards. He can’t bind yet. The other has a ONE and a Legacy II with the slim bearing.

I’m a big fan of the DM2. The Legacy II is great, and with it, you don’t need the ONE or the Protostar. One of my kids has a Legacy II. It’s not quite a DM2, but it ain’t no slacker either. I want one! But I ordered a Chaser instead for now. The Hiroyuki Suzuki signature models and myself get along quite well.

But if you want the option to swap bearings and go from tug responsive to dead unresponsive, YYJ seems to the market leader in that. Speeder 2, DM2, Legacy II, Hitman Pro, XCon Pro, Chaser(I think, I’ll know soon enough), SPX… the list is actually kind of long. The DM2 and the Speeder 2 I really enjoy a lot. The Legacy II is a fantastic affordable plastic throw. I have the Hitman Pro and XCon Pro on my “must have list”. Ideally, for the money, the Legacy II is your best option. Next up, in my opinion is the DM2, but keep size in mind. The Legacy II is a great starter that can take you a LONG ways. But for the money, you can compromise and say “OK, I may not get exactly what I want, but I am getting something to start with and develop preferences”. The next yoyo should cater to what they think they want, such as diameter and weight. We all have to start somewhere.

Going with the FUN angle: Start with responsive play, the move to unresponsive. Get that “instant gratification”, then they’ll want to work towards marching through the trick list and going full unresponsive. Sticking withe ONE yoyo that does both lets the familiarity move forward with the player. I started with a DM2, but I got a ONE later on. I am choosing to keep the ONE responsive so I can switch play styles quickly. But, I’d say, knowing what I know now, I’m getting a Legacy II and keeping that responsive when I get it. I like a bit more weight in my yoyo than what the ONE has to offer.

Still, going with your list, ONE and Protostar are a good combination. ONE and stay responsive, Protostar for unresponsive. For around $45, that’s a good deal. Serious.

16

Again, don’t ignore the starlight. It’s cheaper, plays just as well, and glows in the dark. Don’t assume that it is super light because it lacks metal rings either, at around 65g it is no feather.

17

Well then I guess it’s a matter of whether or not he wants hubstacks then isn’t it? I’ll just ask him and he wants 'em, Grind Machine, if not, Protostar. Anything else?

18

I was going to say Velocity, as much as I haven’t thrown one. I may actually pick up a Velocity this weekend just to have something responsive to mess around with and then flip it to unresponsive in seconds without changing bearings. I’m debating picking up a pair for 3A/wing-shaped 2A. Would be a great throw to take along to let others try.

Grind Machine’s fun, large, and pretty fast. I find it comfy to hold onto though for someone younger, it may be a bit chunky. It is noisy however with the stacks but has not affected me play-wise. Only frustrations I’m having so far is the pretty wide gap and my not-so-tight binds. I’m finding ways though to work around it. Random note about stacks, I think they’re fun to mess with, it does open up a door for some creativity such as doing a pull start and tossing the yoyo around into a double or nothing. Honestly, I need to find some more tricks for stacks.

19

I have the Velocity. I got it for the ability to move from responsive to unresponsive. It’s great as a responsive yoyo, however, it’s very narrow. As a beginner moving to unresponsive, I couldn’t land a trapeze very easily, so I switched to the Dark Magic II. I almost never use the Velocity anymore.

Each of the Grind Machine, Northstar and Protostar are great choices for non-responsive yoyos. I have one of each, and I use the Protostar the most of the three. But, my favorite by far is the DM2. It’s worththe extra 10 bucks.

As far as responsive yoyos, the One, Lyn Fury, Hot Shot or even the Duncan Speed Beetle/Pulse are great, inexpensive choices that will get your friend through the beginner tricks and entice him to move onto string tricks. Good luck!

20

Your welcome

No im kidding
Get one of those.
then If he really gets serious and you really think hes gonna be a good yo-yoing buddy get him a gift for his birthday
Get him a 40$ Throw
Maybe a DM2
I really love the DM2 it’s a really nice plastic throw.