Learning To Yo-Yo
by Gregory Schauble

The Beginning

Okay, you want to learn how to Yo-Yo. But where do you start?, well, you could go to the local Grocery Store and pick up a $2 Yo Yo, but that's really not the best way to go. More then likely you have a local hobby shop that has a good selection of quality Yo Yo's.

What makes a quality Yo Yo?, a Yo Yo that works. Just because a Yo Yo has a $40 to a $100 price tag on it doesn't mean that Yo Yo's going to perform well. There are a lot of very good Yo Yo's in the $10 range, Yo Yo's the professionals choose over the most expensive Yo Yo's. Check the reviews on this site for an in-depth look at todays most popular Yo Yo's. Your local hobby shop may have a worker who specializes in the Yo Yo department, and they should be able to set you up with a Yo Yo for your skill level. If you don't have a store around your area that carries quality Yo Yo's, you can buy them off of the internet at www.theyoyostore.com or www.yoyoguy.com

Step 1: The String

Well, you've got your Yo-Yo, and you want to try it out. But don't drop that Yo Yo until you've got the string length correct. The string should extend from your bellybutton to the floor. To adjust the string to your height, stand straight up and lower the Yo Yo to the floor, letting it unwind. With the Yo Yo on the floor, pinch the string where your bellybutton is and tie a loop there. Now cut the excess string off. Thread the Yo Yo string through the loop making a slip-knot. Put that loop around your middle finger, right behind the first knuckle. Remember, the Yo Yo string should be through the loop, do not use just the loop!, it well be to big or to small, with the Yo Yo string through the loop you well be able to have a perfect fit, one that won't slip or be to tight.

Step 2. Making your Yo Yo Work.

Okay, you drop your Yo Yo and it spins at the bottom of the string and you can't pull it up. This is how it starts for everyone, unless your using a Yomega brain Yo Yo or some Yo Yo that doesn't "Sleep". When your learning it's best to "double loop" your Yo Yo (Yomega Brain Yo Yo's have to be double looped or triple looped to work, it tells how to setup a Brain Yo Yo in the booklet that comes with them). To double loop a Yo Yo, begin untwisting the Yo Yo string down where it's connected to the Yo Yo. Yes, a Yo Yo string is really just one big long piece of thread twisted together, and your Yo Yo spins at the end that's looped. Keep untwisting until you have a loop large enough to slip over the Yo Yo. Put your index and thumb fingers into the loop and twist one turn to the left or right and slip the loop over the Yo Yo's axle. Now you have two loops of string over the axle, hence, "Double Looped". If your using a Transaxle Yo Yo (A Yo Yo with a ball-bearing or sleeve that revolves around the main axle) it is recommended that you always keep it double looped, so if your just learning for your first time how to Yo Yo, triple loop it. That should be pretty simple, you just add one more loop to your double looped Yo Yo. This prevents the Yo Yo from Sleeping (Spinning) at the end of the string so that you can direct your attention to making the Yo Yo go down and up.

Okay, now drop the Yo Yo. It should unwind down the string and then fall over dead. If it doesn't, re-read the above information. It should give you a good idea of how a Yo Yo works, so use your head and you should be able to come up with a solution. If the Yo Yo discs are to far apart you may have to put a few more loops around the axle to make it not Sleep. You may have to put four loops on a transaxle to prevent it from sleeping. To make the Yo Yo go down and then come back up, tug on the string a little just before it hits the end. Do this until you feel comfortable enough to tackle the next step, the Sleeper.

Step 3. The Sleeper.

You can make your Yo Yo go up and down, so how about making it suspend at the end of the string?. This trick is actually very simple, and you must learn it to do 95% of all Yo Yo tricks. A fixed axle Yo Yo (A Yo Yo with just a axle) can sleep for about 8 to 15 seconds, Pros can get them to Sleep much longer, but for the average Yoer it's around 12 seconds. A transaxle can sleep very very long. The Cold Fusion Yo Yo by Pro Yo slept for an incredible 7 minutes 10 seconds!. But for the average player a 30 second sleeper is considered very good. To make your Yo Yo sleep, you must undo your extra loops, except for transaxles which you should have double-looped for the sleeper. So, fixed axle Yo Yo, single looped, transaxle Yo Yo, double-looped. That settled, let's go on.

If you would like to see an illustration of this trick, go to Beginner Tricks on this site and select sleeper, although this trick is so simple you really don't need it.

Okay, start with your Yo Yo snugly wound up in the palm of your hand. You should have the palm of your hand face-up, and the Yo Yo string has to be coming from the top of the Yo Yo to your middle finger, not from underneath your Yo Yo, if it is coming from underneath the Yo Yo, just turn the Yo Yo over in your hand. Now, make a muscle with your arm in front of your body, facing away from you, then throw your arm down letting the Yo Yo roll off of your finger tips with the full force of the down swing. The Yo Yo should travel down the string fairly fast. As the Yo Yo reach's the end of the string, give a slight back pull. The Yo Yo should begin spinning very fast at the end of the string. Turn your hand over so the your palm is facing down. Before the Yo Yo runs out of spin, pull it back up into your hand. Now you can just turn your hand over and repeat the above to do another sleeper. A common mistake is to not use your wrist or have your wrist held crooked, so be a little flexible and learn from the Yo Yo. More then likely your Yo Yo well go crooked or die on your first 50 to a 100 tries, but the more you try the better you'll get.

After you've mastered the Sleeper, move on to the forward pass.