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 ?
1 comment
Hallo. Ik sinds maandag een paar jojo’s van jullie ontvangen en ben lekker aan het oefenen. Ik vroeg me alleen af, omdat er nogal veel keuze is, of jullie wellicht ook een fysieke shop hadden of een andere mogelijkheid om eea te kunnen bekijken? Ik woon in Den Haag en zie op internet dat er geen winkels in de buurt zijn die mooie jojo’s verkopen. Succes en oja mooie website!