Throw Down
From YoYo Wiki
Described here is the throw to the front, starting a frontstyle trick. The same things appply to a sideways throw called a Breakaway.
Throwing is where every trick starts at. So if you are starting to yo, learn the following well. It is important to throw it straight, such that it does not tilt to either side. I always thought I could throw quite well until I met Dale Oliver a few years ago, who was very kind to point out to me what was wrong with my throwing. Sleep times have improved significantly since then. :-D
The following image is a bit exaggerated, but it is meant to point out how not to throw a yo-yo - at least if you want it to sleep long. Do not hold out your arm and simply throw the yo-yo downwards.
Instead flex your arm, put your elbow up, hold the yo-yo over your shoulder and imagine throwing it at an object lying on the ground two meters (six feet) in front of you - that is where you should aim. Hold the yo-yo so that it will unwind counter clockwise in our diagram, i.e. away from you.
Now throw the yo-yo quickly, swinging it up ...
... and forward ...
... and down in front.
At this point it should have almost reached the end of the string. You should cease to pull strongly at this time. With at fixed axle yo-yo you would bump it into the string end very hard, raising the chance of a string break. With a transaxle this is the point where the response system will lose its grip on the string, leaving the yo-yo in free fall for about 2-3 cm (1 inch) before bumping into the end of the string, resulting in a sharp tug, that can be quite painful.
Now that it has reached the end of the string, let the yo-yo swing itself out.
Practice this until you can always let the yo-yo sleep completely upright. If it is tilted to the right or left, try again. :)
For a responsive yo-yo setup, which should be the case (stock) unless you set it up to be unresponsive, simply tug on the yo-yo when it reaches the end of the string for it to come back up.
For unresponsive setups, look at Bind.
If the diagrams are confusing you, see the YoYoGrams page for info on how to read them.
