Imperial yo-yos. This is your classic, circular shape. These are for “looping tricks” – where the yo-yo isn’t sleeping but routinely coming back to your hand as you make loops and circles with the string. Butterfly yo-yos. These are shaped just like their name – larger on the outside, smaller on the inside (like wings). They’re good for string tricks, where the yo-yoist creates intricate, woven webs with the string. Automatic yo-yos. Yomega quite a few years back started the craze of automatic yo-yos: ones that could “sleep” (stay on the bottom of the string, spinning) and “wake up” (come back to your hand) on their own. These are fine, but it’s kind of like cheating. If you want to actually do your own tricks, you don’t want an automatic yo-yo. Off-string yo-yos. They’re literally that – off the string. It’s technically a yo-yo but it’s more like an awesome grooved disc that bounces on a string as you manipulate. It’s generally reserved for very serious, competitive yo-yoists.
Cut it a few inches above your belly button to leave room for creating a new loop. Then make a knotted loop at the end big enough for your middle finger to slip into. Or just recreate the loop size you cut off.
After one throw, it’ll be back to normal. So when you give it your first go, be sure to snap it back up!
Turn your hand palm-side up, with the yo-yo in your palm. Now hold onto it. This is the position you’ll return to almost always.
For a more basic move, start with your palm facing down. Then with an upward movement of your arm and an extension of your fingers, release the yo-yo. With this variation, you don’t need to worry about rotating your palm (but you get less speed).
Your hand should just give a slight twitch. The yo-yo will then land in your hand, coming to you 100% of the way. No need to go grabbing after it or looking to catch it – just keep your arm where it is.
With the yo-yo in hand, make a muscle-man pose, bringing your hand toward your shoulder. Your palm should stay up as you wind up, give it a straight snap, and release the yo-yo forcefully, extending your arm. Make sure to do this with a lot of strength or the yo-yo will pop right back up to you, never sleeping. Having trouble? It’s probably because you’re jerking your hand trying to get all that speed. [1] X Research source That jerk you have at the release forces it to wake up. Concentrate on having force and speed, but keeping your hand and wrist stable. And definitely don’t bounce! When you’re ready to wake ’er up, rotate your palm down and give it a slight tug up, per usual.
It’s important that you view this as a swing and not a throw or a snap; there’s a very circular motion to it. If you snap or throw it, it will just jut out and come right back to you, not catching any air.
To walk the dog, you’re basically just doing the sleeper as you walk forward. However, as you’re holding it on the ground, move your hand forward and then back, forcing the yo-yo to follow suit but a second or two later (as the momentum moves down the string). This gives the illusion that the yo-yo is walking, too, just like a dog. The creeper is the same sentiment, only nearer to the ground. However, instead of throwing it straight, throw it a bit behind you, sort of winding up to bring it out in front of you. As it hits the farthest point behind you, bring it out in front of you and kneel. The yo-yo should now be on the ground in front of you, ready to be snapped back into your hand that’s ready on the ground to retrieve it. For both of these tricks, it’s much, much easier to do it on a solid surface, like a wood or concrete floor. Carpet makes things much more difficult. Not impossible, but difficult. Both of these also need a strong, strong sleeper. If you’re having trouble, try focusing on your speed. The yo-yo may need more to rotate longer on the end of its string.
If the yo-yo is “falling” after it reaches the top, you’re not swinging enough. You need to maintain a very small circular motion at your end of the string to keep it rotating evenly. The breakaway move is very similar to the “around the world” trick. In fact, it basically is this trick, but to your side. Just rotate your arm out like a chicken wing and proceed to do the same movement, and catch when the yo-yo is at shoulder height.
