Jeff's Trick Page

Basic Tricks

The Sleeper

The sleeper is the easiest trick to do with a yo-yo. You should learn this trick before any other. Actually, you have to. Take the yo-yo in your hand with your plam facing toward you. Flick your wrist away from you and let the yo-yo go. When it reaches the bottom of the string, it should keep spinning and not come up. Then, give the yo-yo a tug, and let it return to your hand.


The Breakaway

This is a very simple trick. All you need to do is throw your yo-yo out to the side of you, and let it go past your feet to the other side of your body, and when it comes up, catch it!


Walk the Dog

Walk the dog is a very simple trick. The first ting to do is throw a hard sleeper (shown above.) Then, let the yo-yo touch the ground, and roll forward. Walk with it until it starts to slow down. Then give it a tug and it will return to your hand.


Rock the Cradle

Rocking the cradle is also an easy trick to do. To start, throw a good sleeper. Grab the stirng with the index finger and thumb of your non-yoyo hand about a third of the way down. Next, loop the string around your yo-yo hand's index finger a third of the way up . Bring your yo-yo hand above your other and swing the yo-yo between the two strings. When it slows down, let the string off your fingers and pull it up to your hand.


Forward Pass

The forward pass is a little different than other tricks I mentioned before. You don't start out with a sleeper. You start by throwing the yo-yo out in frount of you. Then, pull the yo-yo back into your hand.


Around the World

To start around the world, throw the yo-yo out in front of you like in the foward pass. Don't let it come back though. Let it swing all the way around your body, and then back to your hand.


Loop the Loop

Loop the loop is not a super hard trick to do, although it is tough and takes a lot of pracitce. Like in the forward pass, start by throwing the yo-yo out in front of you. Then, also like in the forward pass, let it swing back to you. But instead of catching it, let it swing around your hand, and back out in front of you. Repeat this action as many times as possible. My personal record is 85.  Like I said, it takes a lot of practice, but after a while, you can get it.

Over the Falls

Over the falls starts with a sleeper. Once you have thrown a good one, jerk the yo-yo up but instead of catching it, loop it over your hand and back down to the ground. Start with one, then once you've got that down, go for two and so on. It may take a lot of practice but it looks nice when you can do it well.

Advanced Tricks

Coat Hanger

Throw a good sleeper and grab the yo-yo about 3/4 the way down and pull it up. Then use the yo-yo string hand to wrap the string around twice. Then pull the opening apart at the top. It should look like a coat hanger. Then drop the string and it will return to you.

Anarchy

This trick was given to be by someone visiting this page. First, throw a good sleeper. Wrap the string around your non yo-yo hand once clockwise starting at about 5 inches from the string. From your thumb, take the string up and over your middle finger and down to your pinky. And that's it!

Man on the flying trapeeze

This trick is best done with a butterfly yo-yo, but can be performed with any type of yo-yo. This first thing you need to do is throw the yo-yo out to the side of you, as in the Breakaway (shown above). Let it go past your feet and to the otherside of your body. As it comes up, place your index finger on your non yo-yo hand on the middle of the string. As the yo-yo comes around, try to land it on the string. Play with it if you have time, then tug your two hands apart and the yo-yo will go shouting up. Catch it and you've performed a great trick!

Walk the Dog and Jump Him Through a Hoop

Start by throwing a hard sleeper.  Hold the yo-yo behind you and walk it through your legs.  Put your right hand on your hip, making a hoop with your arm.  Give the yo-yo a slight jerk and it will climb up the string around your leg and jump through the hoop.  Catch the yo-yo when it comes back to your hand.

The Subway

Start this trick by doing a backwards around the world.  As the yo-yo comes around in front of you spread your legs and touch the yo-yo to the ground.  Have the yo-yo walk through your legs, then lower your hand to the ground and have it walk back into your hand.

Kick the Dog Around the World

This is a simple and fun trick to perform.  Start by walking the dog out in front of you.  Then give it a hard kick and send it around the world.  Catch the yo-yo when it comes back, and your done!

Orbit Launch

Throw a fast sleeper.  Put your right arm under the string, so the string goes from your finger over your arm and down to the yo-yo.  With the same hand ,reach down and tug the string coming up from the yo-yo.  The yo-yo should loop over your arm ,and come back into your hand.  Some people, instead of reaching down and tugging the string, like to just twitch their middle finger to cause the yo-yo to come up over their arm.

Three Leaf Clover

This trick is 3 consecutive loops, the first one goes up in the air, as it comes back down loop it straight out, when it comes back again loop it down towards the floor, and catch it when it comes back.  The yo-yo should have gone in a formation to look like a three leaf clover.

Braintwister

This is one of the neatest looking tricks and it's not very hard.  Throw a very fast sleeper.  Drap the string over your left index finger then pull your right hand down and insert the string into the yo-yo groove nearest you.  Pull your right hand forward and up so your right hand is in front of your left until your right index finger is about halfway between your left hand and the yo-yo.  Push your right lindex finger into the double string between your left hand and the yo-yo.  Loop your right hand towards you and up while moving your left hand away from you and down. Do 1 or 2 loops, then stop and reverse the loops. The yo-yo will do a loop then come of the string and go out in front of you. catch it when it comes back or do a loop-the-loop.

If you have any tricks that you would like to contribute, please e-mail me and I will gladly add them.

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