Whenever you throw a yoyo , the only way for the yoyo to return back to the hand is by tugging the yoyo up. The tugging feeling that you feel is caused by the friction between the yoyo's response system and the string. Did you know that there are a variety of response system ? If no , we will break it down for you so that you will have a better understanding of the response system in your yoyo.
1) Fixed axles
In a fixed axle , the friction usually comes from the fixed axle itself. This is because there is no bearing to make the yoyo spin and if there is any other form of response system , the yoyo will be over responsive therefore it will not spin. There are 2 ways to make it less responsive, it's either to apply Vaseline on the inner part of the axle or use an old string , tie it around the axle once , and pull the string away. This is to remove any excess dust particles and to smoothen the inner surface of the axle.
2) Starburst
A starburst mechanism is a star-shaped figure around the axle (or around the bearing) , that is slightly protrudes out of yoyo's inner wall. The purpose of this is to provide a good grip the moment the string touches it. This form of mechanism is commonly found in looping yoyos because due to its sharp nature that makes the yoyo more responsive. The disadvantages of the starburst is that it makes loud noisy sounds when the string touches the starburst and there is a high chance that the string will snap if it is too worn out because of the sharp edges of the starburst. Once the starburst is gone , there is no other way to replace it.
3) Brake Pads
This form of brake pads was patented by Playmaxx or yoyos that are more popularly known as Pro-Yo 1, and it was one of the first modern friction mechanism that uses replaceable pads or stickers. Back in 1998 , we had to get this pads from BP Station. If you remember , the rubber pads resembles a cork in appearance comes with adhesive back in order to paste into the yoyo halves which will make the yoyo responsive. Once the friction is gone , you will need to purchase a new one. How to determine whether there is no more friction ? Simple , just touch the pads. If it is slick and smooth , means the friction pads is worn out and needs to be change.
Brake pads are still used in Duncan Dragonfly and Bumblebee yoyos , especially the new Ignite looping yoyo.
4) Friction stickers / response pads
Friction stickers or otherwise known as response pads did gain its popularity until the late 1990s when the production of aluminium yoyo increases significantly. Unlike the permanent starburst or brake pads that requires a yoyo machined to accept them , these thin circular layer of rubber can be applied to the inner surface of the yoyo in order to increase the responsiveness and it is easy to be replaced once it is worn out. This type of response system is commonly found in most of Duncan's yoyo (example : Duncan Pro Z)
5) O-rings
O-rings are rubber rings that are inserted into the inner grove of the yoyo wall. The groove around the axle is much thicker in-order to allow the O-ring to fit in tightly. The function is similar to the friction stickers but they last longer because an O-ring is much thicker than the friction stickers. It is most commonly used by Yoyojam and it can be found in Classics , Sunset Trajectory , Speeder 1 , and etc.
6) Silicone
Silicone has been widely used by most of the yoyo players nowadays as part of their yoyo's response systems. It is available as normal silicone gel whereby you will need to use a flat surface such as a unused hard card to apply the silicone into the groove and scrap off the excess or in a form of flowable silicone whereby you just need to apply the silicone in the groove and let it sink in by itself. Once it is done , you will have a smooth flat surface in your response groove.
Yoyos with recesses silicone response system are generally regarded as an advance or a professional level type of yoyo for players who prefers minimal amount of friction or response and they have to use "binding" in-order to tug the yoyo back to the hand.
7) Hybrid response system
This response simply means that the response system of that yoyo consist a mixture of the response systems that I mentioned above. The most common hybrid response system is an O-ring and a starburst system that is made popular by Yoyojam. This can be found in Speeder 1.
Methods of modifying a yoyo's response system
Recessing
A major problem for most response system is that they protrude out of the yoyo's inner wall which causes more friction between the string and the walls which subsequently slows down the yoyo. In order to overcome this , some yoyo manufacturers has started to make little cavities into the yoyo gap , so that a response stickers or silicone pads can be inserted into the rest of the wall.
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| Duncan Pro-Z friction stickers |
5) O-rings
O-rings are rubber rings that are inserted into the inner grove of the yoyo wall. The groove around the axle is much thicker in-order to allow the O-ring to fit in tightly. The function is similar to the friction stickers but they last longer because an O-ring is much thicker than the friction stickers. It is most commonly used by Yoyojam and it can be found in Classics , Sunset Trajectory , Speeder 1 , and etc.
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| Yoyojam Classic O-Ring |
6) Silicone
Silicone has been widely used by most of the yoyo players nowadays as part of their yoyo's response systems. It is available as normal silicone gel whereby you will need to use a flat surface such as a unused hard card to apply the silicone into the groove and scrap off the excess or in a form of flowable silicone whereby you just need to apply the silicone in the groove and let it sink in by itself. Once it is done , you will have a smooth flat surface in your response groove.
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| Silicone Duncan Torque |
7) Hybrid response system
This response simply means that the response system of that yoyo consist a mixture of the response systems that I mentioned above. The most common hybrid response system is an O-ring and a starburst system that is made popular by Yoyojam. This can be found in Speeder 1.
 |
| Yoyojam Speeder 1 |
Recessing
A major problem for most response system is that they protrude out of the yoyo's inner wall which causes more friction between the string and the walls which subsequently slows down the yoyo. In order to overcome this , some yoyo manufacturers has started to make little cavities into the yoyo gap , so that a response stickers or silicone pads can be inserted into the rest of the wall.
Till next time ,
Wyvern Strings
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