Introduction: Adam Brewster's Anti-Yo Worldwide Video Yo-Yo Contest Submission 2
More by the author:
About: My life is no longer mine.
Alrighty folks!
Let's show off and learn some stuff at the same time shall we?
Today's topic for learning? The yoyo trick, "Tethers!"
This trick is a lot of fun, simple, and challenging all at the same time! Also - don't just feel like this is the only tether, it's probably the easiest one to land, but there are definitely possibilities for the tether to be used in a lot of other mounts. Just play around and have fun with it!
Author's Note #1:
I hope to go back (within the next week or two - as of 02/13/08) and do an in-depth video tutorial that goes step by step so you can follow along at home. But for now, since there's a time constraint (and I am in this contest to try and win,) I will write up this text description that should at least give you a good idea - and maybe get you all the way through the trick!
Author's Note #2:
I realize that this is an Anti-Yo x Instructables sponsored contest - I also realize that I was throwing a Yoyofactory G5+, and that I was wearing a Caribou Lodge Yoyo Works tee-shirt. I hope that any viewers of this will not find it in bad taste, as I really just like all of those companies and want to represent the "scene" of yoyoing more than just a single brand.
Author's Note #3:
I'm left-handed, so if it looks funny - I aplogize. On the plus side, when the in depth tutorial vids come out, all you righties will simply be able to mirror the motions that I'm doing!
Okay! Let's get started!
Written for Lefties and Righties:
Step 1: Throw a trapeze.
Step 2: Insert your freehand thumb into the loop around your freehand index finger.
Step 3: Pinch the string draped around the back of your index finger in-between your freehand middle finger and index.
Step 4: Pop the string underneath the yoyo to the back so that the yoyo is now held by the pinch on your freehand.
Step 5: Swing the yoyo up in a slightly counter-clockwise motion if left-handed or a slightly clockwise motion if right-handed, and land it from the front onto the string in-between your thumb and forefinger.
The best placement here will be one that keeps the yoyo close to your thumb, but not so close as to cause the yoyo to rub against your thumb during the flop/tether motion itself. (i.e. just a little off center is best)
Step 6: Keeping the pinch, spread the mount taut - this will cause the string in the gap of the yoyo to push against the sides. Depending on the placement of your fingers, the yoyo will either start to flop toward you or away from you.
For this trick to work, you need the yoyo to flop toward you.
To get a little better control of this, curl your index finger in as much as possible, while extending your thumb away from you as much as possible.
Step 7: Once the yoyo has tilted about 90 degrees, the spin will cause the yoyo to leave the mount from the back. However, the way that the string is now wrapped around your thumb will cause the yoyo to spin in a circle instead of just dropping to the floor.
Once the yoyo has made a revolution, it will swing right back into the front of the string between your forefinger and thumb.
Step 7.5: If you wish to do Tether x2 or x3 or however many you like, here's your chance to do it. Right as the yoyo finishes it's revolution, and before it swings back into the front of the string, lift up your freehand index finger just a hair. This will allow the yoyo to swing past the string and continue around for another revolution.
Just keep in mind, the more revolutions, the more quickly you lose spin, and the harder it is to correct after you're done spinning round and round. (Even the difference of spin from 1 tether to 2 tethers is SIGNIFICANT - so play around with it to find out what you're able to handle each time.)
Step 8: Very quickly, adjust the positioning of your fingers so that the yoyo will finish the flop started in step 6. This means that the yoyo will rotate another 90 degrees and "rise up" so it is sitting back on the string.
This is the hardest part of the trick and depending on the speed of your yoyo's spin, you'll have to position your fingers differently to correct the spin.
Also note that this part - along with step 7 absolutely murders the spin of your yoyo. Be quick here or you'll find that the trick can be over just a little bit before you want it to be.
Step 9: If you were able to correct the spin successfully, you'll have the yoyo sitting nicely between your thumb and forefinger again, with a bigger twist of string wrapped around your thumb. From here, do what you please to keep on tricking - but since the spin is usually pretty low, I normally just return it to my hand from here in whatever way seems appropriate at the time.
Congratulations!
I hope you had fun learning the trick and that you'll have fun throwing the trick!
Let's show off and learn some stuff at the same time shall we?
Today's topic for learning? The yoyo trick, "Tethers!"
This trick is a lot of fun, simple, and challenging all at the same time! Also - don't just feel like this is the only tether, it's probably the easiest one to land, but there are definitely possibilities for the tether to be used in a lot of other mounts. Just play around and have fun with it!
Author's Note #1:
I hope to go back (within the next week or two - as of 02/13/08) and do an in-depth video tutorial that goes step by step so you can follow along at home. But for now, since there's a time constraint (and I am in this contest to try and win,) I will write up this text description that should at least give you a good idea - and maybe get you all the way through the trick!
Author's Note #2:
I realize that this is an Anti-Yo x Instructables sponsored contest - I also realize that I was throwing a Yoyofactory G5+, and that I was wearing a Caribou Lodge Yoyo Works tee-shirt. I hope that any viewers of this will not find it in bad taste, as I really just like all of those companies and want to represent the "scene" of yoyoing more than just a single brand.
Author's Note #3:
I'm left-handed, so if it looks funny - I aplogize. On the plus side, when the in depth tutorial vids come out, all you righties will simply be able to mirror the motions that I'm doing!
Okay! Let's get started!
Written for Lefties and Righties:
Step 1: Throw a trapeze.
Step 2: Insert your freehand thumb into the loop around your freehand index finger.
Step 3: Pinch the string draped around the back of your index finger in-between your freehand middle finger and index.
Step 4: Pop the string underneath the yoyo to the back so that the yoyo is now held by the pinch on your freehand.
Step 5: Swing the yoyo up in a slightly counter-clockwise motion if left-handed or a slightly clockwise motion if right-handed, and land it from the front onto the string in-between your thumb and forefinger.
The best placement here will be one that keeps the yoyo close to your thumb, but not so close as to cause the yoyo to rub against your thumb during the flop/tether motion itself. (i.e. just a little off center is best)
Step 6: Keeping the pinch, spread the mount taut - this will cause the string in the gap of the yoyo to push against the sides. Depending on the placement of your fingers, the yoyo will either start to flop toward you or away from you.
For this trick to work, you need the yoyo to flop toward you.
To get a little better control of this, curl your index finger in as much as possible, while extending your thumb away from you as much as possible.
Step 7: Once the yoyo has tilted about 90 degrees, the spin will cause the yoyo to leave the mount from the back. However, the way that the string is now wrapped around your thumb will cause the yoyo to spin in a circle instead of just dropping to the floor.
Once the yoyo has made a revolution, it will swing right back into the front of the string between your forefinger and thumb.
Step 7.5: If you wish to do Tether x2 or x3 or however many you like, here's your chance to do it. Right as the yoyo finishes it's revolution, and before it swings back into the front of the string, lift up your freehand index finger just a hair. This will allow the yoyo to swing past the string and continue around for another revolution.
Just keep in mind, the more revolutions, the more quickly you lose spin, and the harder it is to correct after you're done spinning round and round. (Even the difference of spin from 1 tether to 2 tethers is SIGNIFICANT - so play around with it to find out what you're able to handle each time.)
Step 8: Very quickly, adjust the positioning of your fingers so that the yoyo will finish the flop started in step 6. This means that the yoyo will rotate another 90 degrees and "rise up" so it is sitting back on the string.
This is the hardest part of the trick and depending on the speed of your yoyo's spin, you'll have to position your fingers differently to correct the spin.
Also note that this part - along with step 7 absolutely murders the spin of your yoyo. Be quick here or you'll find that the trick can be over just a little bit before you want it to be.
Step 9: If you were able to correct the spin successfully, you'll have the yoyo sitting nicely between your thumb and forefinger again, with a bigger twist of string wrapped around your thumb. From here, do what you please to keep on tricking - but since the spin is usually pretty low, I normally just return it to my hand from here in whatever way seems appropriate at the time.
Congratulations!
I hope you had fun learning the trick and that you'll have fun throwing the trick!
