Yoyo tricks for all levels

A yoyo is two halves joined by an axle, with a string wound around it. You hold one end, and the yoyo rolls down and back up.

A modern yoyo spins on a ball bearing, so it keeps spinning at the end of the string instead of returning straight away. That spin is what makes tricks possible.

There are two kinds: a responsive yoyo comes back on a tug, and an unresponsive yoyo only comes back on a Bind. More on both in types of yoyos.

The Sleeper - the yoyo spins at the end of the string without coming back.

1. Hold the yoyo palm up.
2. Throw straight down, not at an angle.
3. Throw harder than feels necessary.
4. Let it spin at the bottom.
5. Tug the string to bring it back before it stops.
6. Catch it palm down.

Every string trick starts with a strong Sleeper. The harder you throw, the longer you have.

In order. Skipping the basics makes every later trick harder.

1. Get a responsive yoyo.
2. Put the string on properly.
3. Learn to wind it up.
4. Land the first throw.
5. Land the Sleeper.
6. Follow the ladder in the SkillAddicts app - it will not let you skip the step that breaks the next trick.

Thousands, and more every week - players invent them and combine elements in new ways.

There are five styles of play: string tricks (1A), looping (2A), double handed (3A), offstring (4A) and counterweight (5A). All five are in the SkillAddicts app, and we cover them in types of yoyos.

No single answer - yoyoing evolves and new tricks appear constantly. Among the well-known hard ones: Black Hops, Brentstole, Slackiside and DNA.

Competition routines combine tricks into combos of many elements. Most players spend years getting there.

Depends where you are.

• Beginner - responsive, plastic, durable: Starter YoYo
• Intermediate to advanced - unresponsive bimetal with a fingerspin hub: Pro YoYo
• Pro - unresponsive bimetal, extra wide: Banger Yoyo

An unresponsive yoyo does not come back on a tug. You need a Bind:

1. Throw a strong Sleeper.
2. Create a string mount.
3. Wrap the string into the gap.
4. The yoyo grabs it and returns.
5. Catch it.

Learn the basics on a responsive yoyo first, then practise the Bind before anything advanced.

It is good for hand-eye coordination, focus and patience, and it is one of the few hobbies that gets better the more you practise rather than the more you spend. It is also screen-free, which is why a lot of parents end up buying one for themselves after buying one for a child.