Ed Haponik has inspired many yoyo players to explore the potential of the wooden fixed axle yoyo.
The purpose of this thread is to discuss ways to modify modern yoyo tricks in way that work with WFAYY.
I had trouble doing more complicated tricks until I adjusted my yoyo to Ed’s 2 penny gap with. While I can’t land Spirit Bomb on wood, yet, I can consistently hit Magic Drop and Shockwave with a simple tug return. It is crucial to learn how to adjust and tune your wood throw to really begin to push the perceived limits of the wooden throw.
The beautiful thing about WFAYY is that with practice and determination and slight modification you can hit tricks that are possible with Unresponsive yoyo’s while still being able to shoot the moon.
While I am not giving up on Unresponsive play I will be throwing more Fixed Axle and seeing how good I can get. If you are interested in knuckle busting, fingernail chipping, head smacking, fixed axle yoyo throwing, then this thread is for you.
I am going to see how far I can get through Andre’s Tutorials using only a FA yoyo. I also will be posting any tips I learn along the way. This is a community so please share your experiences and tips also!
I know I am not the first person to share these and I am not even the discoverer of any of these tips but they will still help you out.
Change string too often. Cotton string wears out quickly compared to poly on a bearing.
Throw as hard as required for the trick unless you like changing strings and axles.
Don’t catch the yoyo with your face. Ever.
With Fixed axle the only thing more important then fresh string is tension. Keep it neutral! (unless looping)
When throwing Eli Hops aim up and away from the NTH to keep tension tight.
If the gap is too tight or too loose adjust it! Don’t try to make a bad gap work if it adjustable.
Be deliberate in your movement in a way that keeps the string tight so that it can’t return.
Be very precise in your aim. Wood is unforgiving and you will lose spin fast if you don’t keep the sting running straight through the gap.
If your finger is raw from sliding on the string during stalls and regens you can pinch the string against the bottom of your index finger with your thumb and you won’t get string burn.
Hopefully this helps someone interested in wood throwing.
Great tips, sounds like you are making really good headway already. Another thread you may want
to check out or just start adding to with your explorations is;
the fixed axle megathread of awesomeness
which Drew started for basically the same reason, to help push forward fixed axle play.
I find that my type 8 cotton strings play best the second day they’re on the throw, is this similar to everyone else’s experience?
Also, tension depends on the throw for me. I like to play my cheap thrills very neutral or sometimes loose. My TMBR Baldwin plays better when the string is a little tight. I’m not talking looping tight, but definitely tighter than a strictly neutral tension. Doesn’t hold the loop really well for kickflips, so I may have to start playing it more neutral, it just seems to unresponsive for me when played neutral.
Maybe it’s just me being new to the regens, but I just can’t get a good one at that tension.
I play my Baldwin neutral, extrememly loose, and slightly tight. It seems to make only a small difference between loose and neutral as far as sleep time. Response is obviously diminished.
As for playing best I could see slightly tight being better for stalls and regens since you have a bit more response. With it tight it makes it harder to do rejections and flips though.
The Baldwin is so nice. I have a Sullivan arriving tomorrow, I am excited to compare the two.
I’ve definitely noticed that after the first couple days with the Baldwin it became less responsive. Maybe I’m missed something when I switched out the string?
Fixed Axles is where a lot of us started Yo-Yoing. Whether it was with an old Duncan Wood or an Imperial/Butterfly. In my initial startings, it was an old Duncan Imperial Glow. I loved that Yo-Yo!
Getting really good on a Fixed Axle Yo-Yo is something to be proud of because your modern skills are meeting the old ways our forefathers had to deal with.
I like to whip my Duncan Special 44 out every now and then and see what I can do on it.
Another idea to tack on to this thread is: Just try to make it through the 1A Trick Ladder with your Wooden Throw…It is difficult enough with an Unresponsive Yo-Yo.
That is true. I am in awe of the old demonstrators that can do the one and two handed sports ladder tricks on an imperial style fixed axle. Those tricks are so hard, most people skip over them. If I could
throw a wood yo-yo as well as Dennis McBride, I’d probably park my bearing stuff.
I’d REALLY like to see a video of this done, I am sure SOMEBODY out there is that good. What a feat! I even think the 2A Ladder would probably be easier than the 1A Ladder, Fixed Axle’d. :o
Maybe one day I’ll be able to make it through the entire 1A on a Midnight Special, Jewel’d or Original Maple Butterfly. ;D
I haven’t broken any fingernails yet, but I could’ve sworn last night that I broke my pointer and middle fingertips attempting a “peace catch.” I think that’s what it’s called anyway.
And there knuckle busts…don’t get me started on those.
I think it’s awesome that there is now a strong subculture for wooden fixies.
Yah, I have yet to brake a nail either with a wood throw…Still the wood and responsiveness can be unforgiving at times. I mean, I’ve really hurt myself many times with the Tournaments I got. I have an old wood Panther and that has to be the worst one of them all. It sleeps alright compared to some of my Duncans but it’s big, bulky and definitely a hard Yo-Yo to deal with.
Here’s a question, so I got a 1960s Duncan butterfly. I noticed that after about an hour of play I snapped the string due to the metal axle. Is there anyway that I can prepare the string before putting it on the throw in order to extend its playtime?
I thought about using deodorant (an old stick, since I don’t use chemically enhanced deodorant on myself anymore), to give it a little protection against the high temp of friction from dry metal fixed axle and dry cotton string? Any tips?
On a wooden axle yes, but Poly should be fine on a metal axle. Only problem I have is that my Duncan Butterfly becomes COMPLETELY unresponsive with poly string, as in even a bind doesn’t work. It sure spins quite a while though! ;D I must be doing something wrong though, because it just started happening recently.
I was gonna say, when I put a type 8 cotton on, it’s unresponsive enough, I’d hate to attempt playing this 1960’s butterfly with poly. Can’t imagine the amount of Unresponsiveness it would achieve.
EDIT: using deodorant on a string does not extend playtime in this situation. Back to the drawing board…
