YoYo Tricks

The Sleeper or Spinner

• This is one of the building blocks for a lot of other tricks. Depending on the way you drop a yo-yo, it may hit the bottom and shoot back up, or it may hang at the bottom and spin for a few seconds. This is called "sleeping" by some yo-yo users, and a yo-yo with bearings in the center may have more sleep than others. The trick is to snap the yo-yo down fast, and let it spin. To get it back up, jerk quickly with the wrist.

Walking the Dog

• Get your yo-yo down and spinning quickly. Slowly lower the yo-yo to the ground, so that when it touches the ground it starts rolling forward. It will get to about a 30-degree angle before the string eventually pulls the toy, and then it will lift off the ground and pull back into your hand, if you have done the trick correctly. You need to ensure you have dropped the toy gently to the ground, or it may stop or shoot backward.

Flying Saucer

• Throw the yo-yo down at about a 45 degree angle, and try to get it so the yo-yo is spinning on its side. Pinch the string about halfway between the yo-yo and your throwing arm, and pull up slightly. The yo-yo should start spinning on its side like a flying saucer. The real challenge of this trick is getting the 45-degree angle throw correctly.

Rocking the Cradle

• While the yo-yo is in a long sleep, hold your hand upright and spread out. Pinch the string that hangs between your thumb and forefinger. Pull the string through this gap, so that it pulls the yo-yo up and also creates a loop in your hands. Spread the other hand out, so that it creates a triangle shape, and pull that triangle down below the yo-yo. Tilt your upper hand forward and backward so that the cradle rocks. Drop the cradle to pull the toy back up. It will help to practice on a dead (non-spinning) yo-yo.