The difference between responsive and non-responsive yo-yos

If you've ever played with a regular toy yo-yo, you probably think that a yo-yo will come back on its own when it reaches the end of the rope or if the yo-yo loses speed. However, modern yo-yos have now outgrown the toy stage and should actually be seen as sports equipment. With the help of a ball bearing and a smart response system, these yo-yos can keep spinning freely for many times longer, which is called "sleeping" in the yo-yo world as you can see in the GIF below.

What is a responsive yo-yo?

A responsive yo-yo is set up so that you can get it back in your hand with one tug. If the yo-yo is sleeping or spinning at the end of the rope, the yo-yo will wind itself up when you give it a tug. In the GIF above you can see an example of a responsive yo-yo. The perfect choice for people who are starting to yo-yo and are developing their yo-yo skills!

What is a non-responsive yo-yo?

A non-responsive yo-yo is a yo-yo that won't come back on its own when you give it a tug. Instead, the yo-yo will keep spinning at the bottom of the rope, no matter how hard you tug on it, the yo-yo won't come up:

(source: yotricks.com)

Until you pull a trick to get the yo-yo up in your hand. This trick is called a bind :

How do you do the bind for unresponsive yo-yos?

The bind is a yo-yo trick where you have to perform the steps properly before it succeeds. It's the first trick you need to master when you want to use the non-responsive yo-yos. We recommend watching this YouTube video if you want to learn the bind.

Are there yo-yos that are both responsive and non-responsive?

There are also yo-yos that are combined. With a combined yo-yo you can switch between responsive and non-responsive. You do this by taking the yo-yo apart and swapping one or two parts. In most cases, it's just the bearing, but sometimes you'll also need to replace the axle to turn your yo-yo from responsive to non-responsive. With such a yo-yo you can try out different yo-yo styles and improve your skills in different ways. An example of a plastic combined yo-yo is the MagicYoyo K2 and YoYoFactory Arrow . There is also an aluminum version, the MagicYoyo V3 .

Why is a yo-yo responsive or unresponsive?

The ball bearing of a yo-yo determines whether a yo-yo is responsive or non-responsive. By replacing a ball bearing, you can therefore adapt almost every yo-yo to your own favorite playing style. To make a yo-yo responsive you need a responsive ball bearing . To make a yo-yo non-responsive you need an unresponsive ball bearing .

Are there any yo-yos that don't 'sleep', or automatically come up?

Yes, these yo-yos are still there. At the moment we do not offer these. But you can find this model by searching for 'auto return' or 'fixed axle' yo-yo. Often these are also the cheap yo-yos from a local toy store.

Now that you know the differences, do you choose a responsive yo-yo or an unresponsive yo-yo ?