On this Glossary Page, I will present you all you need to know about all the terms used in the yoyo world. Most of the terms will have some sort of image to understand what am I talking about. Just check some sections below to go to the one that interests you
Related to yoyo construction, shape and how it spins
V-shape-look below to see what I mean
H-shape -specific shape that is better for longer spin times
O-shape -yoyo profile with half O
W-shape-Wider V profile
Rounded shape-shape with curved edges for increased comfort in your hands
Step-up: a term used to describe some kind of level-up of the metal profile of the yoyo(look towards the edge of the bearing)
Organic shape-shape for a yoyo that fits comfortably in your hand
Bead Blasted-method used for giving the yoyo the specific matt finish for better grind tricks
Rim Weighted-term used to describe the fact that the yoyos have thick rims and those rims weight more than usual- for increased power of the throw and spin time.
Hubstacks-cylinders on each side cup of the yoyo that spin independently from the yoyo. This way you can hold the yoyo on the hubstacks and you can still have the yoyo spinning. See the green circle around the metal axle in the centre!
Stackless: A yoyo with hubstacks removed.
Hybrid Yoyos-type of yoyos that use two different materials: plastic(polycarbonate) and steel/aluminium. The plastic is used for the main body of the yoyo and the aluminium/steel is used for the exterior rims of the yoyo for giving more spin power. One notable example is iYoyo ICEBERG.
Bimetal yoyo-as the name says, this term refers to the yoyos that use aluminium for main body and steel for the exterior rims of the yoyo. One example is the Magic Yoyo Stealth
Delrin-material similar to polycarbonate, but with increased resistance.
Spacers-specific replacement parts that are made of aluminium and have a disc shape. They are mostly used in offstring yoyos to widen the gap for the bearing, but not always.
Response system
Response-term used to describe the return system of the yoyo
Starburst return system-response system that looks like a 3D star with radial ridges starting from the middle of the yoyo to the exterior
Credit: yoyo store REWIND
O-ring– response system that features a rubber ring which is mostly found in YoyoJam yoyos(now no longer produced)
Hybrid Response – A yoyo that uses starburst response and silicone response.
Auto Return/Clutch -A yoyo with a centrifugal clutch mechanism that will bind the transaxle when the yoyo slows down. The most known yoyo to use this system is the Yomega Brain yoyo.
Vibe-vibration when the yoyo spins
Wobble-extreme vibration that makes the yoyo wobble
Related to yoyo string
Poly: Polyester string
Slick 6-12: A number used to tell how thick or thin string is. The number tells you how many threads of the thinner cord are in each full string. You count the tiny cords by opening up one of the threads that the yoyo string has(there are 2).
50/50 string -it is made of half polyester and half cotton. This is in between the poly and the cotton string in roughness.
string burn: A burn and pain on your finger caused by the friction between the string and your skin
Related to yoyo surface and damage
Mint: A term used to describe that the yoyo looks brand new even if it was used(before selling the yoyo on Buy-Sell-Trade/BST forums or groups.
Ding: A mark on a yoyo due to it being dropped or struck against something.
Ano: Anodized metal; a popular finish on a yoyo, especially good for grinds
Satin Finish: A finish on a yoyo that makes grinds last longer. Characterised for its soft feel, perfect for this kind of tricks
Flat spot – flat damage to the rim of yoyo similar to a ding
Yoyo bite/snags – when the response of the yoyo catches when unintended, sometimes making the yoyo return unexpectedly to your hand, possibly hitting you and causing you pain
Related to bearing and axle
CT —Centre Trac bearing(keeps the string away from the body of the yoyo)
KK – KonKave bearing(centres the string in the middle with the help of U-shape )
Centering Bearing – A bearing that has a groove in it as well as outside walls that slope upward keeping the string centered, improving spin times. Examples would be Dif-E-Yo Konkave/Magic Yoyo Konkave or normal Center Track Bearing
Side Effects: a removable axle system used in some One Drop yoyos. You can adjust the yoyo weight by changing the side effects)
Fixed Axle – A yoyo that has a solid axle as opposed to a transaxle or bearing. Examples of these would be a Duncan Imperial and No Jive 3-in-1
Transaxle – A plastic or nylon sleeve that fits around the axle reducing friction for sleeping, doesn’t sleep as long as a bearing
Related to yoyo brands
YYF: Yoyofactory.
YYJ: Yoyojam(it doesn’t exist any more)
OD: One Drop.
CLYW: Caribou Lodge Yoyo Works.
VsNYYC: Vs. Newton Yoyo Concepts.
Related to yoyo play
Yoyo styles
1A-5A: The five styles of yoyoing.
1A: Standard unresponsive yoyoing. The tricks you can do in 1A are string tricks, whips and slacks (Double click on the video below to play it).
2A: Two looping yoyos(like the loop 1080) at the same time.
3A: Two unresponsive yoyos used in sync
4A: Offstring, meaning the yoyo is no longer attached to the string as for the other styles of yoyoing.
5A: Counterweight play, meaning the yoyo is not connected to your finger instead a counterweight is attached to the end of the string which allows for more tricks than 1A.
Related to hands for doing the tricks
TH: Throw Hand-the hand you use to hold the yoyo in your hand and throw it
NTH: Non-Throw Hand-the hand which is free and doesn’t hold the yoyo when you throw it
Other types of tricks for 1A
Mount-trick which represents a fixed string configuration(ex: Kamikaze mount, front mount, under mount etc.)
Dismount-what you do to exit that string configuration so that you won’t have yoyo string knots that will annoy you.
GT: Green Triangle-specific trick which looks simple and cool!
Thumb grind-trick that uses your thumb to stay as support for the yoyo external lip. While performing the trick, the yoyo spins and you hold the side cup with the thumb. The side cup of the yoyo grinds on your thumb, that’s why it is called thumb grind.
Palm grind-as the name suggests, the yoyo spins onto your palm(this works with yoyos with an anodized matt surface) and you can do tricks by using this kind of movement(ex: do a bind while on palm grind)
Finger grind-trick that uses your pointing finger to grind your yoyo on it(Do a breakaway, pop-up the yoyo and land int on your throw hand pointing finger).
Fingerspin-trick that involves landing the yoyo side cup onto your pointing finger. Ideally, if your finger is at the centre of the yoyo, the toy will continue to spin onto your pointing finger.
Horizontal tricks-type of tricks that involves throwing the yoyo at a side (horizontally) and doing different movements to maintain the yoyo on the horizontal plane, unlike the normal string tricks where the yoyo spinning plane is perpendicular to the ground plane
Bind-trick for lifting an unresponsive yoyo to your hand. When you play with a responsive yoyo, it comes to your hand when you tug it. The unresponsive one doesn’t, so you need to perform this trick to bring it back to your palm.
Tech tricks/combos-type of tricks that involve intricate movements of the arms and fingers with multiple string overlapping and require a lot of precision for performing them.
Looping(2A)-style of play that involves two specific yoyos which are very responsive for doing specific tricks for this category(Forward pass, Around the world, Milk the Cow, inside loops, etc).
String tension-the moment when the string twists around (If you have a U-shape string)
