Yoyo string length

Yo-Yo Mods and Maintenance
1

Not sure if this has been talked about a lot already but holy cow!!

So I have been following the general wisdom and cutting my string so that the top of my loop is 2 inches above the belly button. (I am 6ft by the way)

Just now I messed up a little and cut it so that the top of the loop is at the height of the belly button, so approx 2 inches shorter than normal.

It feels a little shorter, but holy cow it seems to make things a whole lot easier with more instant feedback when I go wrong.

How short is too short and what length do you normally use?

(Still can’t land the Kwyjibo second hop though…)

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2

I cut mine at my solar plexus

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3

Belly button length is perfectly fine, especially if you’re 6’ or taller.

Edit: I now use 5 fingers above my belly button, however long that is—I have skinny, bony fingers, so like 3 or 4 inches or something. Typical pre-tied strings are right at my belly button, so a little longer than typical.

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4

I had to google search this.
Cause I’m a dum-dum.
:sweat_smile:

I’m still trying to figure out what I like best. Over the last week I’ve been using a string a bit longer than normal.
It’s working well so far and is making whips and a few other tricks a lot easier to work on…but every time I throw my yo I’m afraid it’s going to slam into the floor! lol >.<’
Do you have any issues with this @T4t3z0r88? I’d be scared to try it quite that long.

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5

Not so far. Once you get used to it it becomes muscle memory to hold the string higher. I find slack tricks much easier with the extra length. Actually the only time i nailed a yoyo on the ground it was with the shorter string haha. I about died when i heard my poor arctic circle hit. Luckily there was minimal damage

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6

i broke the rule and i like it to my chest Lmao and i am 5’8

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7

It really depend on the trick you are doing, long string make tricks like beefhook and arm tricks much much easier.

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8

I had a shorty as well and had the same experience. I rather enjoyed it. I assumed that it was because i wasn’t worried about it hitting tje ground.

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9

I don’t think I worried before about hitting ground already.
I think it’s from the extra zippiness, easier to maintain string tension mostly and more instant feedback from the string?

10

Its really all preference. Try different lengths till you find one you like. Youd be surprised how much of a difference an inch either way makes

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11

I cut my string so the loop is about an inch above my belly button. I’m only 5’ 6" so I guess that would feel super short to most others. I’m very slowly using longer length string. When I first started I would cut the string so the loop was at my belt buckle because I was so afraid of hitting the ground. Once I went to my current length and got used to it I was blown away at how much easier everything felt.

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12

A little above my belly button for 1A yoyos works for me. 2A is entirely different though.

This really made me laugh out loud.

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13

I dont do much looping but when i do my string is very short

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14

Ah I am still stuck on 1A yet, the Kwyjibo eludes me, but getting better :slight_smile:

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15

I have trouble with it too. I find the longer string helped. I still end up with one wrap around the back of my non throw hand though

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16

Shorter string reduces the rotational inertia of a swinging yoyo so it takes less effort to start a swing or to change direction of a swing. which benefits speed play.

On the other hand, when doing dense tech and body tricks, you’ll want longer string so there’s more room to manuever the yoyo. And with hooks and lacerations like ninja vanish and brent stole, you’ll want the loop that you are whipping into the yoyo bigger so that the yoyo will have a bigger safe zone to hit.

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17

Thats solid info right there

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18

I’m 5’6" and prefer about two inches above the belly button. Everything just seems to go better with a little more string. I rarely hit the ground. But sometimes.
(I’ve been playing for a little over a year as an adult, but am still not very good.)

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19

Ah makes sense, okay I’m going to experiment and try and find a good middle ground.
Next time I will try 1 inch from belly button to give me the extra zip I like compared to 2inch but so that I don’t get bad habits for later when I need more string

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20

Yeah hitting the ground doesn’t really worry me so much as this doesn’t really happen, yet.
But it’s more the feel of the yoyo on the string that changed completely for me,

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