back when i was learning tricks like spirit bomb, cold fusion, and and whut, i tried to see if i could call when i would land it. basely, i count knowing a trick when you can do it once. mastering the trick is when you can do it in front of a crowd, completely understand the trick itself, and do it on command.
for me, I can say that I have learned it if my body remembers what to do and I donāt need to think very much, but mastering it is when I can show it to other people
p.s. it is more difficult when you show it to someone, or even your friends. I already try to perform some tricks and almost 70% of those fail.
I liked Studio42ās three phases. I might add a fourth one- when I can pick up any unresponsive yoyo I want and do the trick with it. (Squirrel, etc) I know some of you have probably invented some tricks that have 8 layers of string in the gap that can only be done on certain yoyos, but for everything Iāve done, the trick is mastered when I can do it on whatever yoyo happens to be in my pocket.
PS - Though I enjoy practicing with fixed axles every week, I still canāt do many tricks with wood. Ed is my heroā¦
I have tried that (just used a counterweight setup and changed hands), it is really fun and you would be suprised how easy it isā¦some tricks are reduculiously hard to do that way though.
this is an important phrase by band teacher used to sayā¦ āamatures practice till they get it right, but professionals practice till they cant get it wrongā
i cant even begin to tell how true that really is, but it dosnt mean you cant move on then come backā¦
When you get it without thinking about it.
I think Iām doing phase 4 without even knowing it. Once I can do the trick, Iāll switch yoyos. Go from the DM2 to something else, also large, often a Code 1. Iāll try it on all my yoyos that are unresponsive. Once I am pretty much nailing it on anything, I feel Iāve got it.
Right now, I just got a Phenom and that sucker spins like forever(for me).
As typical, I start my throwing session with going over stuff I do know. Right now, Iām going backwards a bit and working on Drop In The Bucket, while I also am working on The Matrix.(Iām not doing the ferris wheel portion of the Matrix, but I think in a few days Iāll be there). Drop in The Bucket is coming along now thanks to some recently help(TMCertifiedās tutorial). Consistency isnāt there yet. Iām finding some of my problem is now that maybe my hands are too darn small! However, that just means more practice. Iāve landed it 10 or more times in my brief session with the Phenom(my normal practice yoyo is my DM2), so Iām making positive progress.
Unlike many of you who are fortunate for having the ability to pick this up fast, for me, everything is a fight and a struggle. Not that this is bad, it just means for me when I get it, the rewards are that much greater. I donāt have to remind myself āhey, this is supposed to be funā, because even if Iām having a horrific time on a trick, Iām still having fun. Every disaster brings me a tiny bit closer to success. But when I get frustrated, I move back to something I can do, build myself back up, then move forward again.
I enjoy learning new tricks. It makes all the hard work worth it This is something I do for me. Even once I learn a new trick, I have to keep going back and make sure I havenāt forgotten something from earlier. I actually forgot Split The Atom so I had to go back to re-learn it. It was the second underpass that I forgot. āOK, I went under, now what goes back?ā
Every day I learn something new.
Ah yes, what I do is when I wake up in the morning, the first thing I do is do the new trick before getting breakfast, changing, get my morning coffee, or taking a shower.
Then I know I absolutely have the trick in the bag.
Iāve always thought when you can do it 10 times in a row youāve got it learned.
Thatās the thing about tricks is that if you do something that seems complicated and amazing to you, someone will ALWAYS say ācan you do walk the dog!?!?ā and I have to decline because Iām using an anodized metal yoyo 
When you can do it without seeing the stringā¦ smacks face multiple times
i think Iām OK with muscle memory
Hmmā¦ Iāll try it!!!
Iām backā¦ ouchā¦ groanā¦ push blame
JK.
Iām trying to get trough the Master level tricks. Itās going along fine. Or was. Until I closed my eyes and doom beset me. 
Iāve basically been learning a trick a day. I wonder why I didnāt learn then beforeā¦
Iām kinda the same way, I started working on the trick list then stopped. Now, Iāve gone back to try and learn the advanced section and I found that I was able to learn like 3 or 4 tricks in one day. I stopped learning new tricks for probably the last two months or so and just did the same ones over and over and got them super good. Then when I went back to the list I found that they are a heck of a lot easier now. Which is awesome!
I had a similar experience, although youāre further along than I am.
I had to take a break because when I started throwing, I also had a nerve pinched a bit and it was screwing with my right shoulder. Being right handed, well, my options were kinda limited. Then I had a show come up so I just stopped throwing for 2 weeks. After the show and my 2 day recovery(rest the back), things came back quick and better than before. Now, as far as learning more than one trick a dayā¦ I got a ways to go before that happens. Right now, the slow and steady pace gets it done for me. Iām smoothing out Ripcord, atomic bomb, now Drop In The Bucket and Mach 5, all while I move on to The Matrix. The Matrix is coming along except for the ferris wheel portion. I did shock myself twice doing Drop In The Bucket on an ultra-wide yoyo. I didnāt think I could open it up the ābucketā that much. Cool!
I know plastic whip will be a challenge because itās going into a totally different direction than what I am used to so far. It should be fun.