PHENOMizm.... some thoughts

My review will be focussing more on my subjective feelings / thoughts towards this yoyo. If you're a sucker for specs etc. head on over to YYE's fantastic store pages where they have photographs and all the technical specs you need...

First thing that stands out (apart from the shiny looks!) is the angular shape. Essentially the entire yoyo body is the catch zone, no steps or flat spots - very sharp and angular! Despite the angular shape, I actually found this very comfortable to hold in hand.

For years yo-yo companies have been trying their hardest to get the weight as close to the rims as possible... and now YYJ come and put a big weight ring... in the middle of the rims? Hmmm... this should be interesting.

To be honest, I don't think YYJ has quite perfected their mid-weight manufacturing yet. Don't get me wrong, this yoyo is smooth and stable and glides like a butterfly, but when you take a closer look, there is quite a bit of vibe, much like the older YYJs before they brought out the Solid Spin axle system. I tried two PHENOMizms, and both had the same amount vibe. I was disappointed at first (especially when you look at the price), but it really doesn't affect play. If you're wanting to do super smooth grinds, this probably wouldn't be the yoyo for you anyway.

I'd like to give mad respect to YYJ for trying something new in a world of stagnant designs, but to be honest, I'm just not sure I get the whole mid-weight technology thing.

Despite the size (the overall diameter is pretty big), this yoyo really does zip around very easily, I am guessing because the weight is concentrated more towards the middle.... but this leaves me wondering? Just what is the point of the plastic rims? If the yoyo plays like a smaller yoyo and we all know that (without going to the extreme) rim-weight is a very good thing, why not just make the yoyo smaller and end it where the weight ring ends? Is it just to provide a larger catch zone? Are our skills getting that bad that we need an even larger catch zone? Superwide, anyone?

Supposedly it has something to do with making it easier to change the plane or axis of the yoyo mid-trick... I'm not really good enough at horizontal (or switching axis mid-trick) to be able to comment with absolute authority, but I find I can switch the plane mid-trick quite easily with almost any yoyo, as long as it doesn't have VERY extreme rim weight. 888, Nimbus, Speeder, FHZ, Mini Motu, couple of metal-rimmed Aodas... Yep, they're all good, I can switch planes on them all...

I somehow get the impression that the whole "mid-weight technology" is more of a sales gimmick... It's an odd feeling, because this yoyo has become one of my firm favourites and I love it SO MUCH, but I just can't help thinking, "Why don't they just chop off the rims?", or "If this was just a touch smaller."

Another thing which disappointed me (and I'm probably in the minority here) is I find the gap far too large to use a KK bearing, which the yoyo ships with. With the gap at 4,5mm and the KK, I just find that the yoyo thuds at the bottom of the string when you throw and doesn't unwind smoothly right to the end of the string. This is one of my personal pet peeves, and one of the reasons I hardly touch YoyoFactory, the gaps are just far too wide.

I know this comes across as mostly negative, but I really do love this yoyo!

PROS
Classy looks!
Unique shape and design, nothing else like it (you really should get one, instead of getting another generic shaped yoyo)
Huge catch zone - great when doing shows or in competition
Spins longer than you think it should

CONS
Some vibe
Gap + KK too wide for my personal tastes

Now, if YYJ could just shave off some of the plastic on the outer rims and make the gap narrower... I would have my absolute dream yo-yo!

May 25, 2013, 09:58:08 AM
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