I recently decided to get into yoyoing, so I began searching for a good yoyo. I picked up a YoyoFactory DV888 without ever having yoyoed before, and I thought it was pretty rad, but kind of small. So I decided to get a YoyoFactory Horizon. I’m having a lot of fun with it, but my trick list is very small. I struggle with little things, like getting the string knotted around the axel, breakaway throws, and keeping the yoyo from tilting while doing tricks. It got me to wondering, did I start off with the correct style (unresponsive 1A)? Let me know what you think!
Unresponsive 1a is a good place to start. Responsive yoyos are a little less forgiving when it comes to tilting because the gap is smaller, so that would force you to learn to control that faster. On the other hand you know how to bind already; so, it’s a trade-off.
I think you could benefit from going through the tutorials on this site and focusing on developing a straight, strong breakaway.
If you throw a little tilted you can straighten it up after you land a trapeze by moving your hands in opposing directions front/back. The string will straighten the yoyo and you can continue with your trick.
Thanks! I have trouble when throwing a breakaway, getting a mount (I think it’s the reverse front mount) and then binding. The string gets caught in the yoyo and when I throw it, the yoyo snaps back up at me! Do you know how I could fix this? I could upload a video as well, if that would help.
You mean that after you bind and then the next throw it snaps back?
If that’s the case you might try getting your non-throw hand closer to the yoyo (making the loop of string smaller) just before you bind.
Sometimes, if that loop is big, it can wrap around the main string as it winds up. Then the yoyo will stop at that spot on the next throw and reverse direction as if the string was fixed to a fixed axel. Usually a couple throws will work this out unless you manage to tie a knot around the axel.
I think it is better to start on a responsive throw when starting off. This allows you to focus on throwing the yoyo properly as opposed to having to learn to bind before almost anything else. This also opens up some other tricks that aren’t available on an unresponsive throw.Starting with a responsive yoyo will give you a better foundation to then build upon, at least in my opinion.
I agree with this. If you have the patience, I would suggest getting a fixed axle to learn the fundamentals on. It will help you develop a stronger throw and improve your accuracy, but it is a little more frustrating at times.
What if I got an Oracle, and practiced on there a bit? Unless you mean getting a wide gap responsive yoyo so I could still do string tricks? If so, what yoyo would be good for this? Thanks!
I think you’d be better off going for something designed for string tricks rather than the Oracle. I haven’t tried many of the newer starting yoyos but you should look through Yoyofactory’s plastic yoyos, I personally would recommend the Velocity. It has an adjustable gap so you can change it to unresponsive when you think you’re ready.
Of course, another option is to just change it a bit to make it responsive. You could do this by using a slim bearing, thicker string/pads or by adding loops around the bearing. I believe that the DV888 works with slim bearings so you should try that instead, that way, you get to save some money.
