Before You Bind…
What defines a player who should be throwing responsive(a style of yoyoing in which the yoyo can come up with a tug) from one who should play unresponsive(a more advanced style of yoyoing in which the player has to use a technique called a bind to bring the yoyo back to the hand)? Many will answer that question by stating that a player who throws unresponsive must be able to bind. Unfortunately, this answer causes new players to focus on the bind, and forget about the many building blocks that help to develop their yoyo skills.
- Firdaus demonstrating a bind
When a player first starts out, they will most likely be learning the basic level tricks as according to the foundation tricks. While these tricks are cool and a ‘must learn’, most of them will not help to improve 1A skills to the point of unresponsive play. In this section, the tricks that are most likely improve your play are the Long Sleeper and the Breakaway. Without having nailed these, doing other tricks is extremely difficult.
- One of the many picture tricks.
The super level tricks include some of the most important tricks in yoyoing. One of those tricks is Trapeze. Many, many tricks are based off a Trapeze; learning how to properly complete it opens a lot doors for what other tricks you will be able to learn.
Eli hops, one of the numerous tricks based off of Trapeze
Another big one in this section is Brain Twister. While it may not have as many tricks based off it as the Trapeze, it has elements that appear in Split the Atom, and even the Bind. Another cool thing about the Brain Twister is that it can be used in many original combos, once the player becomes more advance.
Firdaus flawlessly executes the Brain Twister
The last level, the hyper level includes some of the harder, yet oh so important tricks. One of the important elements that it has is The Split Bottom Mount. Three tricks on the list use it, but there are tons of other tricks that incorporate The Split Bottom Mount- like Ripcord and Boingy Boing. Without The Split Bottom Mount, front style play is greatly limited.
Double or Nothing is also a great trick to learn. It can be frustrating to learn at first, but is very rewarding once it is mastered. The variations of Double Or Nothing are also very cool- like The Matrix or Cold Fusion.
Double or Nothing
Double or Nothing also shows up in Kwijibo.
Kwijibo- a trick which incorporates Double or Nothing.
The tricks aforementioned are very important to develop. It would be so frustrating to learn them while using an unresponsive yoyo and having to bind. Once these tricks are mastered, binding at the end of every trick should be easy and you can learn awesome tricks,
like this:
A finger grind
or this:
A slack trick
Remember: don’t cheat yourself. If you are not ready for unresponsive play, learn these tricks with a responsive yoyo. It will save you a lot of trouble in the long run.
Now that you know what it takes, what would you choose: The YYJ Dark Magic(an unresponsive yoyo) or the Duncan Freehand Zero(a stock responsive yoyo)?
January 16th, 2010 at 7:59 am
I totally agree. I’ve seen sooo many kids doing nothing but a bind after every throw, as if binding becomes a trick…it’s NOT…and that’s all they can do, Bind or rather trying to bind…they can’t do any other trick…learn the foundation before doing binds, you do NOT need to know binds not even up till the Hyper Level tricks. Binds should NEVER be the very first thing you learn.
January 16th, 2010 at 8:06 am
To add on to that, a metal should not be the first yoyo you buy!
January 16th, 2010 at 8:37 am
ya, I agree. But sometimes when I throw a yoyo out(unresponsive one), it may be a bit slanted or unstable and have to bind it up to throw a good one out. Maybe thats what those kid are doing???? or maybe not………
January 16th, 2010 at 8:50 am
lol. i did not know that there’s a upside down eiffle tower O_o. i think if the 1st timers yoyo players see this, they’re bound to learn alot of tricks from it.(i think)
January 16th, 2010 at 9:03 am
I started out with a fast 201, moved on to velocity, after that i got Dark magic with thick lube, then when i’m confident i moved on to thin lube, after that full unresponsive counter attack now Internal turmoil and duncan diversion
January 16th, 2010 at 9:56 am
love this. It is sooo true in many ways. Learn all the basic tricks first above then learn binds.
January 16th, 2010 at 10:13 am
I can pretty much guess who the photographer is…
January 16th, 2010 at 10:54 am
ANDREW! LOL
January 16th, 2010 at 11:24 am
my story is the same as Syazwan’s…..
i also started with Fast201-DarkMagic
but anyway,,i will not go to high end metal yoyo….
even though i am a pro…
for me,,is alot wasting money…..
January 16th, 2010 at 11:54 am
i started off with freehand zero then metal zero then boss then duncan mayhem then duncan diversion then classic triple eight then ended off with dna
January 16th, 2010 at 11:54 am
wow it must be raining prettty bad that day
January 16th, 2010 at 1:38 pm
LOL dark magic is not unresponsive but cool post!
January 16th, 2010 at 2:10 pm
your camera is so damn cool.
January 16th, 2010 at 5:34 pm
my dark magic is 100% UNresponsive.remember that it has an adjustable gap. oh yeah this is my favourite post yet!
January 16th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
Ture. so ture. People who were laughing at me at the east side gathering last time shld so read this >:/ but i can bind now
January 16th, 2010 at 10:16 pm
Most awesome post in a while, hope the kids get the “real” correct meaning…
January 16th, 2010 at 10:32 pm
wat yoyo he using?
January 16th, 2010 at 11:02 pm
It’s been awhile, that was definitely a good read, thanks Katie!!!!!
Andrew Spinworkx
January 17th, 2010 at 3:44 am
Great article! Good job Katie!
You’ve written what most of the “Old Players” are thinking.
January 17th, 2010 at 7:55 am
i saw most of the player starting play yoyo had to blind most people keep blinding
January 17th, 2010 at 9:49 am
lol in my area i saw some kids doing nothing but binding hahaha i ask them what u doing they tell me lol u dunno one la it’s a pro trick called binding … i was like laughing inside then i did a common advanced trick called mcbride rollercoaster they went O.o
January 17th, 2010 at 10:47 am
I think we should make a shirt that says: Binding is Not a Trick….hehe
January 17th, 2010 at 1:48 pm
I agree with roy. I think i’m gonna make one now
January 17th, 2010 at 3:25 pm
I almost thought it was written as “Dark Magician” instead of Dark Magic(an unresponsive yoyo).
:[
January 17th, 2010 at 3:25 pm
I almost thought it was written as “Dark Magician” instead of Dark Magic(an unresponsive yoyo).
:[
January 17th, 2010 at 6:34 pm
DM Duck magic the the duckie edition onli limited to singapore players
comes with interchangeble rims and 3 diffrent weight ring settings
January 18th, 2010 at 9:18 am
o,O ….really?
January 18th, 2010 at 4:33 pm
@HyperRussell/Davidsee
ROFL DUCKIE?!
January 18th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
…I think they keep on bind and bind and bind the yo-yo bcoz they scare snag formed while their bind…so they throw down the yo-yo again and rebind
January 18th, 2010 at 6:30 pm
we soo need that shirt
January 18th, 2010 at 6:40 pm
Ya.. I tink that the shirt shud be made… Anyway( sorry if out of topic..) I have finally and succesfully added hubstacks to my dv888:-P well.. Not really …. Only one side of my dv888 has stacks.. The other side doesnt… But i am working on it so that i would have maybe the very first hubstacked dv888 in singapore or maybe even the world!! … Then i wud have saved abt 80 bux from buying the 888…
January 18th, 2010 at 8:11 pm
@Joseph …i think Yussouf has done it b4 u
January 19th, 2010 at 12:25 am
I’ve been out of the yoyo loop for 10 years and just getting back into it, I’ve had to learn new terminology (bind). After blowing the dust of my Cold Fusion GT i thought I was going to need to buy a new yoyo because of all the talk about the necessity of an unresponsive one from many of the forums.
This thread makes me realize that I’m where I should be with my CF GT and to stay with a responsive yoyo until I can master all of lower level tricks. That way I build a solid foundation with a yoyo that has a smaller string gap than may yoyos of today.
January 19th, 2010 at 4:27 pm
i started with a ultra rusell,then a fire star,then a super fire dragon,then a velocity and fast 201,then lyn and finally hitman!
January 19th, 2010 at 4:28 pm
i started with a ultra rusell,then a fire star,then a super fire dragon,then a velocity and fast 201,then lyn and finally hitman!haha!
January 20th, 2010 at 1:40 pm
Also, don’t buy a konkave bearing when you’re first starting out! I see lots of beginners with bad throws saying that konkave bearings will help them do string tricks. If you have a bad throw, a kk isn’t helping you
January 23rd, 2010 at 10:19 pm
may i know wat is the expectations to work in spinworkx because i am keen to become a PRO but … i dunno weather it is ok bcause i am only P.5 aged 11 so….
January 26th, 2010 at 6:12 pm
In singapore to actually come out and work and have a income i think its 16 right?
January 26th, 2010 at 7:45 pm
Hi Guys,
Sorry but we are not taking in new staff at the moment =)
Andrew Spinworkx
January 28th, 2010 at 7:10 pm
I may wanna go some shirt shop and do wat Roy(Crew) wated to do. Put the words BINDING IS NOT A TRICK!!! LOL
February 7th, 2010 at 3:53 pm
is darkmagic bearing relly concaved?
cause mine ist relly concaved lol
March 5th, 2010 at 8:53 am
My Yo-Yo Chain -
Duncan Butterfly
NED Boomerang (Yes, A NED Yoyo lol)
Duncan Mosquito
Freehand (For a very long time)
Duncan MoMentuM
(Thought about the Dark Magic, but I thought I’d try a metal, and so far it’s my favorite yo-yo)