Thread: The Complete Guide To AA Yo-Yoing

The Complete Guide to AA Yo-Yoing

Hi, my name's Pi and I've searched far and wide, broke tons of yo-yos, and bugged tons of people. Why? So that I could be to describe all the mods you will ever hear about or need for the art of AA. I would like to formally thank all the people that have helped me to write this guide. They will be listed at the end of this post.

What to expect in this guide:

In this guide, you can expect to learn a huge chunk of how AA works and what it involves. To be more descriptive, I will be talking about the physics of AA, strings, string length, oils/lubes, cleaning bearings, different AA yo-yo mods, parts necessary, fixing broken AA yo-yos, maintenance of modded AA yo-yos and so on. The yo-yos that will be mentioned in this are the Yomega Raider, RB2, Fireball, Powerspin, YoYoJam Sunset Trajectory, Kamaitachi, Spintastics Riot, and Duncan Speed Beetle. Now that the structure of this guide has been set forth, let's begin.

Physics of AA Yo-Yoing:

When you first pick up a stock Yomega Raider, have you ever noticed how it loops? It seems to kind of push up when you throw an inside loop. This gets very annoying because it makes it hard to learn how to loop. And because the yo-yo loops up, it will hop and punch as a result.

The reason a Raider loops upward is the result of a few things. First off, Raiders are one of the heaviest AA yo-yos used. The heaviest looper is the Kamaitachi by YYJ. Second, string length has to do with how upward and downward a Raider loops. Third, gap width also causes differences in loop direction. Finally, the thickness of your string also causes variation in directional looping. That's why there are four types of string available: Slick 6, 6 Ply Cotton, Slick-8, and 8 Ply Cotton. I will now list the solutions to the problems listed.


Reasons for Looping Upward:
Solution for Problem:

Yo-Yo is Heavy
You can't really change the weight of a Yomega looper, but you can try changing using the other solutions listed to cause downwards looping

Wide Gap
Stock Yomegas, YYJ's, Spintastics, and Duncans all come stock in different ways. Yomegas should be cranked to reduce gap width, Sunset Trajectory's adjustable gap can be tightened for a thinner gap, and Speed Beetles can have their spacers switched out to the thinner spacers which are better for AA. Riots you can shim by adding a stable behind the spacers on one or both sides.

String Length
There are two different string length variations that will be talked about shortly. For now, if your yo-yo loops up, lengthen your string. If it loops down, shorten the string

String Type
The reason yo-yos will often loop up is due to the string you're using. It's a rule of thumb to always use slick-8 or 8 ply cotton strings. These will not cause upwards looping, but will instead cause the yo-yo to loop more downwards.

More information about the physics of looping can be found at The Mod Squad.

Strings and String Length:

First off, ALWAYS use slick-8 or cotton 8 ply strings. It is made thicker so the yo-yo will not have the tendency to loop downwards. Also, AA puts TONS of stress on your yo-yo string. 8 ply is stronger so there will be less of a chance that the string will snap while you're yo-yoing.

Now I will discuss the arguments over string length that the AA community has. If you ever look at really good AA yo-yoers, you will notice their string length. I will consider two really good examples. Koji Yokoyama, the Japanese National Champ 2004, uses really, really short strings. He uses long strings in practice, but most of the time in competitions he uses short strings. If you notice, he does crossover hops really low and never has the issue of hitting the floor with his yo-yos. Then there is Shinji Saito, the current World Champ 2003, who uses relatively long strings and fireballs modded into modded Raiders. He does a very large amount of complicated wraps so his string must be longer. If it wasn't, he would not be able to accomplish some of them such as the wrap he finishes his 2003 world freestyle with where he jumps over his strings.

So what should you use? Well, to tell you the truth, it is all personal preference. Just know that longer strings loop down and shorter strings loop up. Another possible choice is the 32 inch rule. Some AA players will cut there string to exactly 32 inches which seems pretty even in my opinion. If you want short strings, measure the string from the floor to your crotch/waist, or from fingertip to shoulder end. If you want longer strings, just make sure they're even. One thing about long strings however, is you have less control with them and less speed. Paul Han, one of the world's fastest loopers uses pretty short strings which shows in the speed he has.

Section Summary:

There are 3 types of string preferences.
-Fingertip to should end; Floor to crotch/waist
-Exactly 32 inches measured out
-Longer, cut even and to personal preference

Oils and Lubricants to be used:

There are many different oils/lubes to use. Here are a few:

-Singer Sewing Machine Oil
-Quantum Hot Sauce
-3-in-1 Oil
-SuperLube Grease
-Brainlube/SuperLube Oil
-Vaseline
-Tri-Flo Grease
-Baby Oil/Mineral Oil
-Koysho RC Car Oil (Japanese Oil that Koji uses)

There are more oils and lubricants out there, but you get the idea on what's out there with the list above. When you choose a lube, it is by personal preference, but know this. It is best to use oils that are thin such as Singer Oil, Koysho RC Car Oil, Quantum Hot Sauce, and 3-in-1 Oil, because they do not kill sleep time. Thick greases such as Vaseline or SuperLube cause sleep time to dramatically drop which is bad if you do wraps. So, choose what you want, but if you do wraps, DO NOT USE THICK GREASE/OIL. One more thing is DON'T USE WD40!!! IT CORRODES BEARINGS AND SENDS EM TO |-|311!!!

Cleaning and Prepping Your Bearings:

Cleaning bearings for AA isn't that big of a deal but you should do it every so often. The reason you might clean your bearing is to remove excess dirt and lube that could be clogging your bearings. It's not a huge deal in most cases, especially if you use thin oil, but if you use thick grease like Super Lube, I'd suggest cleaning about every month. After cleaning, relubricate the bearings and you're all set once again.

For a guide to cleaning bearings, click here.

Mods:

What to expect:

For this specific guide, I will mainly be discussing Raider mods. Why? Because Raiders are THE BEST AA yo-yos out there. Every single champ has used modded Raiders/modded Fireballs/RB2s and that's not because they are just the most common AA yo-yo. No, it's because Raiders can be fine tuned to the specific users preference, and they have the perfect weight, response, and feel that every AAer seems to like. However, because this is a new day and age, I will list a minor Sunset Trajectory mod which also works on Kamaitachis. Speed Beetles, in my opinion, should not be modded. They are excellent just the way they are. For riots, their gap can be increased with spacers or shims behind the spacers. This will allow slower looping which is easier to learn with.

For these mods, I would like to thank numerous people who I will list at the end of this guide. Some of the mods are simple, and one specific one is a pain in the butt to get right. You can expect to break 3-4 Raiders before you find what you like. I'll try to give a solution incase you over crank your yo-yo. Also, when I explain each mod, I'm only talking about a single yo-yo. Make another one if you need the pair for AA.

Masahiro Tanikawa Mod/Crushed Spacer Mod

This mod was created by Masahiro Tanikawa, 2001 AA National Champ. It consists of crushing plastic spacers to get them to the correct level, right below the starbursts. This is a solution to people who dislike sanding. Anyway, let's begin.

Items Required For Mod

-Your Favorite Oil/Grease
-2 Plastic Spacers
-1 Metal Spacer that will be used for crushing, but not for the actually yo-yoing
-Bearing cleaner if you have a dirty bearing

Step 1: First off, take out the bearing from your stock or used Yomega, and clean the bearing out like I said before. After it's clean, relube it or wait to lube it until you assemble the yo-yo.

Step 2: Next, take your two plastic spacers, and put them into your yo-yo like you would during normal play. But instead of closing it, put the metal spacer over the plastic spacer so there are a total of 3 metal spacers in this order: plastic-bearing-plastic-metal. Now, close the yo-yo up and turn it until it stops turning without brute force. You have just successfully crushed the plastic (nylon) spacers so they are now below the starburst level.
Here is a picture of what has occurred:


The plastic spacers are now at the same level as the base of the starbursts. This will add response to the yo-yo and make it a better looper.

Step 3: Open the yo-yo again. Take out the metal spacer and do what you want with it. Next, lube the bearing with your favorite lube. Now, close the yo-yo again with plastic spacer-bearing-plastic spacer setup in it, and put a new string on it which has been cut to the length you prefer. The yo-yo may not be a good looper right now, but after you crank it, it will be.

Step 4: Now is the dangerous part. I've personally broken many Raiders with this step, but nonetheless, it's a good and important step to learn. To do this step, close the yo-yo up, with the string or without; not a huge deal, and then start to turn the yo-yo even though it is already tightly shut. If you notice, it will continue to turn, but force is necessary. This is called over tightening (a.k.a. cranking). When you over tighten, you may think you're going to strip the axle, but in reality, because of the plastic spacers, nothing will happen with the axle threads. Also, as you crank, make sure to throw a few loops to test the feel of the yo-yo to see if it loops upwards, or downwards. Make sure that you stop cranking after the yo-yo stops looping upwards or else you'll go too far. Note: if you notice the axle starting to push through the side of the cap, take it out and sand off some of the axle to prevent damage to the cap, and for easier cranking.

After you have finished cranking, you've officially finished this mod. Every time you loop, it's good to reapply lube to your bearing because AA burns off the grease/lube you use super, super fast.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: DO NOT OVER CRANK YOUR YO-YO. THE THREADS WILL NOT STRIP, BUT YOU HAVE A CHANCE OF SNAPPING THE AXLE WHICH WILL DESTROY THE YO-YO. If cranking is not enough to decrease the gap width of your Raider, you can sand off the sides of the axle. Make sure you do this symmetrically or the yo-yo will be off balance.

The formal write up of this mod can be found here, under the tips & mods section. It's called the Raider Mod by Masahiro.

As you can see, this is a relatively simplistic mod. There are others but I will not be going into detail about them. However, you can find them here:

Most Common Mod (used by Koji, Alan Batagan, Jennifer Baybrook, John Ando, etc.). It involves sanding the spacers and axle of the yo-yo down until they are at the lengths and widths you prefer.

What you will need:

-A Raider/Modded Fireball
-Plastic Spacers
-Cleaned Bearing
-Your Favorite Lube
-Slick 6 String or Slick 8, whichever you prefer
-Sand Paper atleast 300 grit or greater.

Steps to this mod:
-Start off by sanding down the spacers. You will need to have the spacer level below the starburst at a very precise level. It's so below, that it is probably even thinner then the width of a hair. You should only barely be able to feel the tiny drop as you run the finger over the starburst onto the spacer. Here is a diagram to explain. Note: always sand the spacers on the cup side, not the flat side. If you sand on the flat side, the string will slip into the gap when you loop.



-Now that the spacers are sanded correctly, it's now time to sand the axle a tab bit. Sand each side so that instead of having a rounded end, they are flat. You shouldn't sand off too much but enough so that when you crank, the thread does not pierce the cap. Here is a diagram:



-Now that the yo-yo is sanded properly, assemble it like in normal play with lube and string, cut to the length you prefer.

-Now, start to crank the yo-yo a little at a time, while testing it with a few loops every so often. Remember that it's important the yo-yo doesn't loop too upwards or downwards. If you mess up, you can just reset the gap like described below.

Here are two links that have different descriptions of the relatively same mod. Realm of AA; Plastic Spacer Lab

Friction Sticker Mod (Safety Mod). This mod requires very little work and it is relatively safe. It is also the easiest mod listed. However, it does require friction stickers, which can become costly over time. Make sure when you do this mod, to put the friction stickers right over the startbursts very evenly to prevent excess friction. You can find this mod here.

For every mod listed so far, cranking is necessary. Cranking is a risky step, but here is a way to fix a Raider that has been over cranked. No guarantees that it'll definitely work, but what do you have to lose?

What's needed for this repair job:

-3 Metal Spacers
-Over Cranked Raider

Place the 3 metal spacers in the yo-yo without a bearing. Turn the yo-yo like you're cranking it, but do not over crank. It should reset the gap so that you can start over but no matter what, the plastic spacers are toast. WARNING: IF YOU OVERTIGHTEN/OVER CRANK ONCE AGAIN WITH THIS REPAIR METHOD, YOU WILL SURELY SNAP/STRIP/BREAK YOUR RAIDER AND ITS AXLE.

Sunset Trajectory Mod/Kamaitachi Mod:

Items Needed:
-2 Friction Stickers
-Stock Sunset Trajectory or Kamaitachi

For those people who do not wish to attempt any of the Raider mods, this is for you. Buy a Sunset Trajectory or Kamaitachi and open it up. Remove the o-rings with a needle or screwdriver. On each side, put a friction sticker. Now, put on a string with the length you prefer, and start shutting the yo-yo. Every so often, test the yo-yo with a few loops to see how responsive it is. And there you go, a primitive but good Sunset Trajectory Mod. Mickey, Japanese National Champ uses only one friction sticker. Experiment around and see what suits you best.

The reason you might want to do this mod is so that you can gain extra sleep time. With the gap set wider on your Sunset, the sleep time will be increased, and the friction stickers will still give you the response you need.

I would now like to thank all the people who made this guide possible. Here is a list in no specific order of those I would like to thank:

-Realm of AA for their Mod
-International Team of Yo-Yo Maniacs for their Mod
-The people of Plastic Spacer Lab for their Mod
-Shawn and his guide to looping
-The Mod Squad
-Posters at Yoyoing.com forum
-Posters at TheYo.com forum
-Posters at Dave's Skill Toys Forum
-The Underground for their FS Mod
-Gadget
-AzHP
-Yo5D a.k.a. Seth
-SW2NMBNMAYOPF
-Sp1nMonkey

If I am missing anybody tell me and I will add you because you deserve recognition.

Thx for reading my guide and I hope it was helpful

That was a ton of great info, I'm gonna go home tonight and def. play with my speed beatles.
I think your right that AA doesn't get the kind of attention that it deserves!

Dude that was awesome...
one thing though...
I thought Masahiro was the 2001 Nats AA champ not world's...
I could be wrong though.

Oh man, you're rite. How i mess up that one.

thx for the compliment. appreciate it.

I would like to add that while plastic spacers are the most popular mod, they are also the hardest to control, as they are only required for a person who can

A) Loop quickly and
B) Needs a yo-yo that sleeps for a long time to do wraps

A beginner who tries to use this mod will be quickly frustrated as it will be very hard to control. For a beginner I would suggest first using sunset trajectories with a wider gap or speed beetles with both bronze spacers, as they will be slow and easier to control. After a while you can either tighten the gap (sunsets) or replace the spacers with the silver ones (speed beetles). Then, once you've progressed a long way (can do fountains and vertical punches), you can go ahead and mod raiders.

Also, a beginner who cannot loop with both hands or is learning hops/punches/whatever should not attept to learn both at the same time. It's much, much better to learn to loop with each hand individually until you can do it almost perfectly, and then put them together and try to coordinate it that way.

For more information regarding these two topics see http://www.yo-yo.org/ming/howto2a.htm

I have a question about the reason for the "cranking" a raider tight after the spacers have been worked down. The purpose is to get the gap down I know. But is the thing you're trying to do is drive the axle thruough the plastic in the hub because it is bottoming out w/the thinner spacers?

If that is the case, that the axle is now too long I see two methods to compensate for this, neither of which should pose the same risk to breaking the yoyo.

One would be to use a drill bit a tad smaller than the axle to drill out the plastic in the bottom of the hub. That way you have less plastic to try to screw the axle through and would have less of a chance of breaking something. The other is even simpler, and that is to shorten the axle by grinding off some of each end.

Maybe I don't understand the problem you are trying to solve...

Many people in fact do sand down their axles on both sides. They take off a little at a time and it makes your yo-yo thinner. I guess you could try and drill a hole through the cap but it usually never gets down to that much of a necessity. If you actually did drill a hole and cranked all the way thru, the halves would probably touch each other at the starbursts.

Also, the reason AA'ers crank is because you are able to finely tune the direction your yo-yo loops. With sanding, things are a bit uneven no matter how close you sand.

More on this subject can be found on Plastic Spacer Lab, located under the 2nd mod.

OK - but if it's a matter of fine tuning, drilling thru the bottom of the hub would give you all the adjustment you need w/o breaking anything...

That's not necessarily true. If you look at Yomega axles, they are not like duncan axles or YYJ axles. They are only threaded on the ends. Once all the threads go into the nut, your yo-yo cannot crank anymore no matter what.

This guide is really good, though I'd like to give my opinion on the lesser known looper, the Riot. I don't see anyone here who raves about it and I think I know why. As many of you know, I'm anything but a good looper, but I'm practicing alot. At the store, I found riots for 12 USD, and bought a pair. When I opened it up, I noticed the gap width was very narrow, meaning this would loop downward. When I got home, my hypothesis was dead on. These things were impossible for me to control! I decided if I shimmed it, they might loop slower, making them better for the beginning looper, like me. I put a staple behind one of the spacers. The gap was wider, but not by much. I noticed I could control the loops much better. With the narrow gap, I didn't have the time to correct loops and it felt really strange. With the slightly wider gap, they looped slower and are much easier to control.

I have a question about the Riots though: The package says to regrease it often. They say that you put enough grease on the spacer so that it squeezes out. Wouldn't that be kind of messy, and wouldn't the string break easier?

You can also shorten strings to cause the thing to loop up, however that will make control difficult for the beginner. For greasing, the way described on the Riot package is viable, just make sure you wipe up the excess grease. Personally tho, i would'n' grease at all cuz it kills sleep time, and i mean KILLZ. The reason you shouldn't get grease on the string is because it causes stiffness which would effect smoothness and versatility of the yo. Overall it's not really a big deal tho so don't worry about it.

Note: Let me add riots into the guide.

Actually, when you get used to them, they loop very nicely. They're fun to play with. I just obtained my new record of 170 with them. They're harder to control though. But that gap was soooo narrow. Good thing I widened that sucker.

that is the best guide ever.i feel like doing aa rite now.too bad the friction stickers wore out.have anydea what i can use to replace it meanwhile

hmm in the trick section i expected trick help too, but a great guide nonetheless

A quick correction. In two spots you mention for type 8: "It is made thicker so the yo-yo will not have the tendency to loop downwards." This is backward. Thicker string will have a tendancy to loop lower. Of course that does let you cut the string shorter without it looping too too high. A good point about it being stronger, though. Broken strings are no good...

Anyway, good to see more people writing on looping. :) I'm planning on revamping my own guides at some point to make them a bit clearer.

Cheers,
Shawn (not Sean..heh)

For the riots I just added some triflow to them and cut the string pretty short, they work perfectly. The thing to remember is to not add too much or your screwed. After the initial greasing and play. add just a little bit when you change your strings This what Jen. Baybrook uses but I think she also started using raiders again. Just a useless fact, the smashed spacer mod was made shortly before the summer of 98 by Alan Batangan and alfred Pacheco.

I use Speed Beetles religiously, and that is the way i set them up. It rocks so much. Lots of helpful info there Matt, thanks for compiling it and keep up the good work.

whats AA?

Originally Posted by apoplectic

whats AA?

Looping

...with 2 yos