Setting up the yo-yo

• Winding - The "trick" you will probably have to learn first.
• String Tension - Tightening or loosening your string.

Basic Techniques

• Throw Down - to let go of the yo-yo while forcefully uncurling ones arm in such a way that the yo-yo translates its gained linear momentum into rotational inertia.
• Sleeper - First perform a throw down but let the yo-yo spin at the end of the string.
• Breakaway - A sideways throw.
• Forward Pass - Throwing the yo-yo forward. Elementary exercise, yet always a crowd pleaser.

• Flying Saucer - A sideways throw that can tighten/loosen the string.

• Binding - brings back an unresponsive yo-yo.
• Fake Binds - A different way to bring your yo-yo back. Sometimes more effective than a normal bind.

A regeneration (or regen) is a yo-yo technique which 'regenerates' the spin of the yo-yo, so you can continue without needing to catch and throw the yo-yo again. The idea behind this is as old as Loop the Loop and Hop the Fence.

• Loop the Loop - A constant regeneration and a timeless classic.
• Hop the Fence - A series of regenerated Throw Downs.
• Around the World - The yo-yo travels in a full circle.

These tricks involve a yo-yo sitting on the string in holds called mounts. So called moves or transitions are used in string tricks to get from one mount into another.

• Man on the Flying Trapeze - Start learning sidestyle with this simple mount.
• Double or Nothing - A breakaway that goes around twice before landing on the left finger like a trapeze.
• Reverse Trapeze - Looks like a Trapeze but is something else.
• Under Mount - Simple fronstyle mount.
• Over Mount - Under Mount the other way round.
• Over and Under - A simple trick combining the two mounts.
• Braintwister - A fundamental trick from Undermount.
• Barrel Rolls - Great effect, infinite underpasses.
• Split the Atom - A Braintwister but with one more underpass.
• Atom Smasher - Split bottom mount followed by tosses and underpasses.
• Mach 5 - Split bottom mount trick that makes the yo-yo seem like it is floating still while the hands are spinning.
• Pop N Fresh - Split bottom mount trick involving a lot of "pops". Hence the name.
• Boingy Boing - Split bottom mount rhythmic trick.

• Man on the Flying Trapeze and his Brother - A trapeze dismounted that loops around your left to land on the right.
• Lindy Loop - A trapeze followed by another trapeze.
• Mag Rolls - An interesting new trick created by MagL33To from the airtime and yoyonation forums. Link: Mag Rolls video (Kindly hosted by NenMaster)
• McBride's Coaster - A fun and easy trick to learn!
• Eli Hops - A crowd pleaser!
• Tsunami - A fun trick!
• Spirit Bomb - nice trick using the Wrist Mount
• Chop Sticks - string tricks, that are done between the fingers of one hand.
• Folds - a loop of string is folded around the yo-yo. Very nice effect.
• Double Green Triangle - a not so difficult variation on Green Triangle
• Triangle symmetry - A very good looking trick for freestyles

These are basically string tricks, with the little distinction, that the yo-yo is usually not mounted anywhere, but just hangs on the end of the string, while the string is used to form a picture. A notable exception to the last sentence is Rock the Baby, where the yo-yo is part of the picture.

• Eiffel Tower - A picture trick of the Eiffel Tower.
• Spaghetti - A fun trick that looks like you're eating spaghetti!
• Jamaican Flag - A picture trick of the Jamaican Flag.
• Robin Hood - Shooting an imaginary arrow.
• Rock the Baby - The yo-yo rocks in a cradle.
• dizzy baby- yoyo goes full circle around the top of cradle

These tricks involve the yo-yo coming in contact with the yo-yoer or other objects, usually rolling along them. Even though the very first grind, Walk the Dog, was conceived decades ago, the technique was only recently improved by players like Johnnie Delvalle.

• Walk the Dog - The yo-yo "walks" in front of you. This was the first grind in yo-yo history.
• Inner Ring Grinds - The yo-yo hangs on to your fingertip..

While in the classic string trick, the string is kept taut, slack string tricks involve a portion of the string to be left slack. Variants include whips, where the yo-yo is lassooed using a sling of string, lacerations, where a loop of string is slung around the yo-yo onto a finger, in order to get into a trapeze-like mount, and suicides, where a loop of string is dropped and later recaught. Some yo-yoing sites treat whips as a different trick category than slack tricks.

• Slack Trapeze - Simple whip to get into Trapeze.
• Reverse Slack Trapeze - Slack Trapeze the other way round.
• Hidemasa Hook - Taking Reverse Slack Trapeze a level further.
• Plastic Whip - One-handed slack mount
• Suicide - Catching a loop of string which has been thrown out of a trapeze around your throwhand in mid-air.
• Iron Whip - A very hard whip.
• Wave Slack - A cool slack!