How to look after your yoyo - String care

The strings need to be adjusted to suit your height. To adjust the length, place the yo-yo on the floor and cut the strings about 10cm above the height of your navel.

The Health of your String... What is healthy string and how do you know when it is unhealthy and in need of changing? Here's a list of a few symptoms of "USS" (unhealthy string syndrome):

1. The string is dirty. Once grime gets into the fibers of your string, it becomes weaker and breakage is much more likely. A good way to check to see if your string is in need of changing is to compare a new string to the one you suspect is dirty. If there is a huge difference in color, change strings.

2. The string is very thin. After hours of play, the string becomes broken in, making it a ton of fun and ideal for heavy-duty play. However, there comes a point when your string becomes stretched and twisted to a point where it is weakened significantly. If your string looks thin and tight, it's time to change it.

3. The string is fraying. You will know if your string is fraying because you will be able to see tiny, little pieces of string sticking out of the yo-yo string. This is bad. If you continue play with fraying string, it is very likely that the string will break during play. Doing "dog bite" to yourself is one thing. Accidentally doing it to someone else as a result of broken string is WAY different!

As you play more, these routine string checks will come as second nature to you. Before you know it, you will soon learn how gratifying a clean, bouncy and new string can be.

Regarding how often you should check your string - It all depends on how much time you spend throwing the yo-yo. The more and the harder you throw; the quicker the string will weaken or break. I'd suggest getting into the habit of looking at your string right before you start practicing or performing. It only takes a second to check your string.

Once you get this down, maybe Mom and Dad will let you throw in the house . . . Don't hold your breath, though. :-)