CHOOSING YOUR FIRST YOYO

Whether a new player or an experienced player, it’s been an extra hard task for us to choose a new yoyo. So here is guide that will help you on landing to your very first or to your next collection yoyo.

NEW PLAYERS

New players will always look for the best yoyo around.  Often times if you’re new to yo-yoing you will click Google and ask; “what is the best yoyo” or “what is the best yoyo for newbie” or sometimes, “what’s the best cheap new yoyo for me and for my friend who loves to yoyo and etc.”  And eventually the internet will show and lead you to a lot of yoyos and you will end up not knowing what you want because of the tons of options that you have. And that’s why we’re here.

If you’re new to yo-yoing do not ask for the best yet. Asking for the best yoyo means having the best of skills (which I assume that you do not have because you’re just new to yo-yoing), so if you’re just starting you better start with a starter yoyo or an entry level yoyo.

Now the next question is what’s a starter yoyo?

one of the basic bandai yoyo available at toy kingdom

A starter yoyo is a yoyo that is capable of handling most of the 30 basic to hyper trick. These are the basic yoyo tricks such as sleeper, walk the dog, split the atom, loop the loop and etc. you can search the internet for the tutorials of these trick. I’ll write a post with links soon.

Now going back to the starter yoyo, well these yoyos are commonly made out of plastic and can be bought on local stores (Toy Kingdom, Toys R’ Us, Redmantoys.com and even in the Yoyo Black-market) these yoyos are not costly and can be bought from 70 – 500 php.

TIPS:

Do not aim for a metal yoyo yet, especially if you’re really really new to yo-yoing. Metal yoyos are good yoyos but they are hard to handle when you’re just beginning to play. So it’s a big NO.

Yoyos that will be great for your budget and are not that costly are the Bandai and Auldey yoyo at toy kingdom; they range from 70 php to 350 php (the best picks I think because you can do the most basic tricks with them Both basic string and looping tricks).

 But if you could spend some more and you have access to them you can get the entry yoyo from yoyofactory and yoyojam. YYF One/Whip and YYJ Classic are among the best choices for your first yoyo (although you really can’t learn how to loop on them). You could get them at around 450-600 php at Redmantoys or the Blackmarket.

It’s very important to start with these starter yoyos because this will be the foundation of your yoyo style. Having a good background with the basic to hyper tricks will eventually lead to a very smooth yoyo play.

THE EXPERIENCED PLAYER

Round Shape 1A yoyo

I cannot really speak for the experienced player because choosing your next yoyo is really based on your own preferences.

But since we are here I might as well give some of my personal tips:

For 1A players

H shape 1A yoyo

The most played division; there are tons of yoyos in this category so this will be up to you. But I think that it’s the preferences that will matter in here. These are some of the preferences that you might look at in choosing a 1A yoyo, the shape, weight and the design (for sophisticated players).

With regards to shape, if you like string tricks with lots or string layering (tricks with consecutive and multiple string landing) get the H-shape, they have very wide gap that can handle those tricks. If you love horizontals then get the V-shaped yoyo and besides they are very good at string landings too. And finally if you can’t choose then go with the rounded shape, they are the most versatile yoyo and can handle any tricks that you throw at it.

V Shape 1A yoyo

For the weight, you only have two options the light or the heavy, if you like a floaty feel, then go with lightweight yoyo. But if you want a more stable feel and a stronger return then go with the heavy type. (But not that heavy 68 grams at most I think)

The design is the last thing to consider because they really don’t affect the play of the yoyo. Whether it’s splashed or not it will not determine the play, and at the end they will have dings, scratches and dents. But if you could spare more money then go with splashes because they really look good and easier to sell/trade later on.

For 2A Players

YYF Loop 900 one of the most popular looping yoyo

I’m no 2A expert, but according to my search the best to have (if you are not into modding) is the yyf loop 808, 900, and 1080. For yyj you have the unleashed and for Duncan you have hornet. If you know how to modify these yoyos then the Yomega brand is great for you. The best I think is the raider and the fireball.

All of these are available  at Redmantoys 

loop 900 - 900php

loop 808 - 500 php

yyj unleashed – 800 php

yomega fireball - 600 php.

You can also get all of those yoyos at the yoyo blackmarket on very good prices. Remember that if you’re pursuing 2A you need to have 2 pcs of it so you better prepare your bank on it.

If you’re running on a tight budget, Duncan Pulse or Beetle can be a good starter 2A yoyo for a price of 380-400 php each. you can buy them at Toys R’ Us on Robinson’s Malls around The Philippines.

For 3A Player

The newest division of all. I don’t think that there are specially made yoyo for 3a because any 1A yoyo can be used for 3A so choosing a 3a yoyo is like choosing a 1A yoyo. So Good luck!

TIP:

Hayabusa Off-string 4A yoyo

A pair of YYJ classic with a size C bearing is very good for 3A at a cost of 450 php each from both Redmantoys and the Yoyo Blackmarket.

For 4A Player

Another Unfamiliar Yoyo division for me, (as you can see I’m into 1A) but u think that this is the most enjoyable division to watch. Most of the players here in our country who plays 4A are using the Duncan Hayabusa or the YYJ fiesta so I guess that they are good choices for you.

Hayabusa – 1200 php RMT price and 1000 at the blackmarket both brand new.

YYJ Fiesta – 1000 Php on Both local Stores and both brand new

For 5A Players

A 5A yoyo is the same with 1A and 3A yoyos but you’re basically playing with the balance of the yoyo and the counterweight that’s why a good 5A yoyo must be a little into the heavy side.

At the end of the day you’re the only one that can decide for yourself. The last thing that I can say is that, whether you’re a new or a seasoned yoyo player. When buying a yoyo read or watch a review first. That’s why there are site like us in the first place.

So good luck, I hope that we've managed to help you. Happy Yoyoing!