I remember a problem I had learning snap starts was death-gripping the yoyo before the snap. If you squeeze it way too hard things can get a bit unpredictable. Try to go for an efficient, quick spin instead of a powerful one.
They’re definitely tricky to get the hang of, but once you get it youll never go back to winding by hand!
Perfect timing! I was actually planning to ask if my problem might be if I was brute forcing it too much. You’re saying yes. How do I put power into the spin without brute force?
Remember the spin comes from the speed of the snap, not the force of the grip. As long as you have enough friction to turn it as you snap, you should be okay.
I would recommend lots of practice snaps. As someone above mentioned, focus on slower/lighter snaps and getting the motion down so that it causes the yo yo to spin. At this point, don’t worry about power. You’re not trying to wind it, just trying to spin it.
Then focus on making that spin as straight and consistent as possible. Still, don’t worry about power, just work on consistency.
Once you can get it spinning straight consistently, then work on applying power. At any point if your snaps stop being straight or spinning well, stop and evaluate why things aren’t working, adjust, and repeat.