Choosing your first Yoyo

Choosing your first Yoyo can be challenging. 
In this guide, I will try to answer all of your questions about what Yoyo is best for you.

What Is the difference between a Responsive and an Unresponsive Yoyo

The main difference between a responsive Yoyo like the Spinstar and an unresponsive Yoyo like the Atom Smasher is that all you need to bring a responsive Yoyo back up to your hand is to lightly tug on the string. While to bring an unresponsive Yoyo back to your hand, you have to perform a trick called the bind that involves wrapping the string around the Yoyo to bring it back to your hand. It’s also a lot easier to learn the basic tricks using a responsive Yoyo, making it much better suited for beginner players than an unresponsive Yoyo, while an unresponsive Yoyo spins much longer because it has a wider gap around the string, making it better for more advanced players.

What is an Adjustable Yoyo

An adjustable Yoyo like the Velocity or Arrow is a Yoyo that can easily be switched from responsive to unresponsive, allowing you to learn all the basics while it’s responsive and just switch out the bearings or turn the dial and start learning advanced string tricks.

Which is better a metal or plastic Yoyo

A common misconception is that metal Yoyos are much heavier and more durable than plastic Yoyos, but in reality, most Yoyos, plastic and metal alike, are around 55-60g, and because most good-quality plastic Yoyos are made out of solid plastic, they are not likely to break or even scratch if you accidentally hit the ground, and trust me, you will hit the ground a lot when you are just starting out. While a metal Yoyo is also made out of a solid piece, it can dent if you hit the ground a bit hard, and because they usually have paint on them, they can also easily scratch, but they have much longer spin times than plastic Yoyos, usually 4+ minutes. It makes metal Yoyos much better suited for advanced players needing the best possible spin time for advanced combos. Metal Yoyos are also a lot more expensive than plastic Yoyos, some of them costing upwards of R2000 while good plastic Yoyos are around R150 to R500.

Conclusion

If you are just starting out, look for a responsive Yoyo like the Spinstar or an adjustable Yoyo like the Velocity. If you are looking at an upgrade from a responsive Yoyo, look for a plastic unresponsive Yoyo like the Atom Smasher, and if you are more advanced than that, go for a metal unresponsive Yoyo. But then again, if you are that advanced, you probably won’t need this guide.