Most players know me as a 2× World Yo-Yo Champion.
But what many people don’t realize is that behind those titles is a much bigger story, one told through the yo-yos themselves.

From my earliest signature models, to creating what would go on to become one of the most iconic competition yo-yos ever made, to now building a brand focused on the future of yo-yo design…

This is how each of my yo-yos came to life and how they helped shape modern yo-yoing.

👉 What You’ll Learn in This Guide

• A complete timeline of Gentry Stein’s yo-yos
• How each release introduced new ideas in modern yo-yo design
• What changed between each generation and why it mattered
• The role these yo-yos played in shaping modern beginner and competition play
• How yo-yo design evolved alongside viral tricks like the DNA and Godspeed

To tell this story we have to go all the way back to the beginning...

But before we go deeper into the full story, here’s one of the questions I get asked the most, what yo-yos I used to win at the highest level:

What Yo-Yos Did Gentry Stein Use to Win 4 U.S. National Titles and 2 World Titles?

Gentry Stein is a 2× World Yo-Yo Champion and 4× U.S. National Champion. Below are the yo-yos used in his title winning performances:

• 🏆 2013 U.S. National Champion → Shutter
• 🌍 2014 World Champion → Shutter
• 🏆 2015 U.S. National Champion → Replay Pro
• 🏆 2016 U.S. National Champion → Shutter
• 🏆 2019 U.S. National Champion → Shutter
• 🌍 2019 World Champion → Shutter Wide Angle

Today, my new brand YoYoChampion is inspired not just by those titles, but by over 20 years of yo-yoing, traveling the world, and teaching people. But to understand how it all started, we have to go back to the beginning.

The Early Signature Era: Where It All Started

I started yo-yoing when I was 8 years old, and instantly became obsessed with it.
A few years later, I was on stage competing, and by 14, I had my first signature yo-yo, and that’s really where everything started.

At the time, it felt like the biggest goal I could reach, something every yo-yo player dreams of. But I had no idea it was just the beginning.

The Super G: The First Signature Yo-Yo

By the time I got my first signature yo-yo, competitive yo-yoing was evolving fast.

Players were starting to do longer combos, more complex tricks, and push performance further than ever before, and I knew I needed a yo-yo that could keep up with that, not just where I was at, but where I wanted to go. 

That’s what led to the first version of the Super G.

It was built to push things further for the time, a wider, more stable monometal design that could handle longer spins, bigger tricks, and the kind of performance competitive yo-yoing was starting to demand.

G Funk: Exploring a Different Type of Yo-Yo

Not long after the Super G, around 2011 my next signature yo-yo came out, the G Funk. The G Funk wasn’t necessarily about pushing things further, it was more about exploring how different yo-yos could feel. 

It was smaller, more compact, and more nimble, giving it a quicker, more controlled feel on the string. At that point, I was still figuring out what I liked, what worked, and what direction I wanted to go with design.

And that process led to one of the first major turning points in my career…

The Breakthrough Era: The Shutter

The Shutter was the yo-yo that took everything to the next level, for me, and for modern yo-yoing.

As I kept competing and improving, I reached a point where everything started to come together. I wasn’t just trying to get better anymore, I was chasing something bigger and I needed a yo-yo that could take me there.

That’s what led to the Shutter.

The Shutter would go on to become one of the most popular monometal yo-yos in the world.

From the start, the goal was simple, create a yo-yo that felt balanced, powerful, and consistent, but still affordable and accessible to every player. Something that could perform at the highest level, while still being a yo-yo anyone could pick up and grow with.

At the time, I hadn’t won a national title yet. I hadn’t proven myself. But I knew what I was chasing and I knew the Shutter was built for it.

That belief became real in 2013, when I used the Shutter to win my first U.S. National Yo-Yo Title, my first major breakthrough on the competitive stage. Then in 2014, I used it again to win my first World Title.

What happened next was bigger than I could have expected.

The Shutter quickly became one of the most iconic monometal yo-yos in modern yo-yoing. But what made it special was more than just the titles that went with it...

At a time when most high-performance yo-yos were expensive and out of reach for a lot of players, the Shutter delivered true competition level performance at a price more people could actually afford. 

And over time, the Shutter became more than just my signature yo-yo. It became a symbol of a new era for an entire generation of players.

How the Shutter Evolved

But the story didn’t stop there. What none of us knew at the time was how quickly the sport would continue to change. Freestyle yo-yoing was leveling up fast, with players hitting bigger tricks than ever before.

That shift demanded a different type of performance and I knew it was time to create a version of the Shutter that matched the new standards of modern competitive play.

Shutter Wide Angle: Built for a New Era

As the sport continued to evolve, it led to the next model of the Shutter. The Shutter Wide Angle wasn’t designed to replace the original, it was built to match the direction the sport was heading.

 

By increasing the width, it gave players a larger catch zone, more stability, and more control when pushing speed and complexity.

This made a huge difference for players leveling up their tricks, hitting faster combos, horizontal tricks, and bigger moves that require extra stability and a wider catch zone. It wasn’t just about making the yo-yo bigger, it was about giving players the confidence to push further than ever before.

And this yo-yo soon proved itself on the biggest stage. In 2019, I used the Shutter Wide Angle to win my second World Title. But what most people didn’t realize was that what made that win possible started long before I stepped on stage.

Shutter Mini: The Training Breakthrough

During this time in my yo-yo journey, I was pushing my trick difficulty further than ever before. After placing 3rd at Worlds in 2017, I came back the next year in 2018 with a completely redesigned routine and significantly harder tricks.

The problem was, I couldn’t hit them consistently, and I ended up missing key elements of my routine on stage. I knew I needed a way to lock in my control.

That’s when I started experimenting with something different. Instead of always practicing on full-size yo-yos, I began using a minature one. It was harder... but that was the point.

A smaller yo-yo forces you to be more accurate. The catch zone is smaller, your movements have to be more precise.  Over time, that sharpens your control, improves your consistency, and makes everything feel easier when you return to a full-size yo-yo.

That approach became one of the most important training strategies I’ve ever used, and it played a major role in helping me reach the level I needed to win again. 

But there was still a problem...

Shutter Mini Bimetal: Training Meets Performance

At the time, mini yo-yos weren’t built for serious play. Most were novelty designs, fun, but not something you could rely on for high-level performance.

Before worlds in 2019, I was already using a smaller metal yo-yo as part of my training, and while it helped a lot with precision and control, it wasn’t designed for that purpose, and it definitely wasn’t built to perform at the highest level.

The idea worked. But none of the yo-yos available were built to support it at the highest level. So the next step was clear: take that training concept and turn it into a true performance yo-yo.

That’s what led to the Shutter Mini Bimetal.

By placing most of the weight into stainless steel rims, it maintains the power, stability, and spin time of a full-size competition yo-yo, even in a much smaller form.

The goal was simple: create a mini yo-yo that wasn’t just a training tool, but something you could actually use at the highest level.

It’s still fun to play with, but more importantly, it became one of the most effective tools I’ve ever used for building consistency and control.

👉 You can see the Shutter Mini Bimetal in action here.

And once that level of control was there, the next step wasn’t just precision anymore, it was pushing performance to its limits and go beyond what a monometal design could offer. 

Shutter Elite: Pushing Performance Further

That’s where the Shutter Elite came in.

Instead of focusing on width or training, this version focused on how the weight was distributed. By introducing a bimetal design, with stainless steel rims, it pushed more weight toward the outer edges of the yo-yo.

That change made a huge difference. It gave the yo-yo more power, longer spin time, and more stability, especially when performing fast, high-pressure combinations where everything needs to stay controlled.

The original Shutter built the foundation. The Shutter Wide Angle pushed performance further. The Shutter Bimetal Mini sharpened control, and the Shutter Elite maximized what was possible within that design.

But this next version wasn’t about refinement. It was about unlocking a completely different level of performance.

Titanium Shutter: Testing the Limit of Performance

As performance continued to evolve, it raised a bigger question: how far could this design really be pushed?

That’s what led to the Titanium Shutter Elite.

Instead of just refining shape or weight distribution, this version explored an entirely different material.

Titanium.

Known for its strength and durability, titanium is used in aerospace, jet engines, and high-performance engineering. But what makes it special in a yo-yo isn’t just the strength, it completely changes how the yo-yo feels on the string. It becomes...

More precise. More responsive. More connected. Even the sound is different.

The way it moves and interacts with the string creates a distinct feel you notice immediately, and it’s not just theory. I’ve sparked this yo-yo on the ground, taken it into a smashing room, and kept playing, and it still performed at a high level. That’s something you simply don’t get from a standard aluminum yo-yo.

👉 You can see exactly what happened when I put it to the test here.

The Titanium Shutter Elite is the most premium version of the Shutter I’ve ever made. It keeps the same overall design as the Shutter Elite, but is made entirely from solid titanium, creating a completely unique experience.

And because of how difficult and expensive it is to produce, only 150 pieces were ever made. This wasn’t just about making a yo-yo for everyone. It was about exploring the limits of performance and creating something that plays like nothing else.

But as I pushed performance forward with the Shutter line, I also started thinking about something completely different, how to make that high level of play affordable for everyone.

Replay Pro: Bringing Performance to Everyone

At the time, it felt like everyone was using high performance metal yo-yos, and while those yo-yos were incredible, I started to question something:

Did becoming a champion really come down to how expensive your yo-yo was?

I wanted to prove that it didn’t.

That becoming a champion was about the player, not the price tag. So in 2015, I set out with one goal in mind, to use a plastic yo-yo to win the U.S. National Yo-Yo Contest.

But to do that, we first had to design a yo-yo that could actually handle it, something capable of performing the hardest tricks on stage, while still being durable and affordable enough for a beginner.

And on September 27th, 2015, I did exactly that with the Replay Pro. 

The Replay Pro became one of the lowest-priced yo-yos ever used to win a major title in the modern yo-yo era, and it shocked the entire yo-yo community.

That moment changed how people looked at yo-yos. It showed that you didn’t need the most expensive setup to compete at a high level. In a way, it leveled the playing field, proving that it wasn’t just about the yo-yo, it was about the time, dedication, and persistence behind it.

The Replay Pro is also included in the YoYoChampion Master Pack, a 3-step progression system designed to take you from your first throw all the way to unresponsive yo-yoing.

A few years later, something happened that would take yo-yoing to a completely different level, not just within the yo-yo community, but across the entire internet.

And that moment came in the form of a single trick. One that had been evolving within the yo-yo community for decades, but suddenly found its way onto social media as a trend and spread faster than anything the yo-yo world had ever seen.

It became known as 'the DNA'.

The DNA Yo-Yo: Making the Impossible Accessible

As the DNA trick exploded across social media, one thing became clear, most yo-yos weren’t actually designed for it.

Players were trying to learn the DNA on whatever yo-yo they had, but the problem was, most of them weren’t built for fingerspins. They didn’t have a place for your finger to lock in, making it extremely hard to control, and for many players, nearly impossible to do. 

So while the DNA looked mesmerizing and everyone wanted to learn it, the reality was that most players were struggling not because of skill, but because of the yo-yo they were using. I wanted to change that.

The goal behind the DNA Yo-Yo was simple, to create the best yo-yo for the DNA trick that anyone could pick up and learn.

It needed to be easy to land finger spins, stable during the spin, durable enough to handle mistakes, and affordable enough that anyone could get started.

And it worked.

The DNA Yo-Yo quickly became one of the most popular fingerspin yo-yos of all time. But as more players started landing the DNA, the trick itself began to evolve.

What started as a single move quickly turned into variations, longer spins, faster entries, and more complex combinations. Players weren’t just learning the DNA anymore, they were pushing it further.

And that raised a new question, what would the best possible yo-yo for the DNA actually look like?

The DNA King: Taking It to the Next Level

The journey to answering that question led to a new level of DNA design. Because now it wasn't just about making the trick easier. It was about building a yo-yo that could completely transform what was possible with DNA tricks, while still performing at the highest level across all styles of play.

But getting there wasn’t simple.

👉 If you want to see how the DNA King came together, I documented it here.

This was one of the longest development processes I had gone through, with months of testing, prototyping, and refining. There were multiple versions that came close but didn’t feel quite right, and so many small adjustments that ended up making a huge difference.

But in the end, we reached the goal and that became The DNA King. 

This yo-yo didn’t just handle the DNA... it redefined what was possible with it.

The DNA King features a self centering fingerspin system that helps lock into the center more consistently, a metal fingerspin area for a smoother and more controlled feel, a metal thumb grind lip for advanced trick variations, and a slightly undersized diameter that allows for tighter, faster, and longer DNA spirals.

But The DNA King wasn’t designed to be limited to one style. 

Even though the DNA King was built to master the DNA, its design pulls heavily from my other high-performance competition yo-yos, making it capable of handling everything from horizontal tricks to going Godspeed and even technical freestyle tricks.

But not every innovation in yo-yoing was about pushing performance further. Some designs were changing the way a yo-yo could be used entirely.

Nine Dragons & 99 Dragons: Rethinking What a Yo-Yo Can Do

The Nine Dragons yo-yo introduced a completely new concept. For the first time, you could grab, stop, or even set the yo-yo down while it was still spinning, something that normally ends the trick instantly with a traditional yo-yo.

It works because of its free-spinning outer shells. Instead of the entire yo-yo stopping when you touch it, the outer shells can keep spinning independently, allowing you to interact with the yo-yo in ways that were never possible before.

👉 If you want to learn how the Nine Dragons works and how to use it, I walk through it here.

And that one change completely rewrote the rules. Movements that would normally end a trick could now be used as part of the trick itself.

That idea was pushed even further with the 99 Dragons yo-yo, a bimetal version designed to increase spin time, stability, and overall performance while maintaining the same free-spinning outer shell concept.

To put it simply, the difference is this. The Nine Dragons introduced the idea, the 99 Dragons pushed it further than ever before. 

These designs helped expand what players thought was possible with a yo-yo, showing that innovation wasn’t just about improving tricks, but about creating entirely new ways to play. 

And for me, being able to release my own exclusive colorways for both the Nine Dragons and the 99 Dragons meant being part of a moment that was actively redefining what yo-yoing could be. Not just improving tricks, but expanding what’s possible.

The Next Chapter: From Signature Yo-Yos to YoYoChampion

After years of designing signature yo-yos, winning world titles, and helping shape modern yo-yo performance, I started to see something more clearly than ever before.

Every yo-yo I had created was part of a bigger journey. From my first signature yo-yo, to the Shutter, to the DNA and beyond, each one pushed performance forward, introduced new ideas, or helped more players experience what yo-yoing could be.

But there was still something missing.

👉 This was the moment I decided to start my own yo-yo brand, you can see how it all began here.

Because for me, yo-yoing was never just about competition. It started as an 8-year-old kid discovering something new and becoming obsessed, and over time, it grew into a desire to help others experience that same feeling.

After traveling the world, teaching beginners their first throw, and competing at the highest level, I realized something: the next step wasn’t just creating another yo-yo. It was creating something bigger than any single release.

That’s what led to YoYoChampion.

👉 You can see the moment I officially launched YoYoChampion at the World Yo-Yo Contest here.

A brand built around progression, from your very first throw all the way to the highest level of play. And when it came time to bring that vision to life, I knew exactly where to start.

The First YoYoChampion Yo-Yo: A New Super G

To build the first YoYoChampion yo-yo, I went back to where everything began: my very first signature yo-yo, the Super G.

But this wasn’t about recreating the past. It was about reimagining it.

The original Super G was designed for where I was at that point in my journey. But yo-yoing has evolved a lot since then. Tricks are faster, more technical, and more demanding than ever before.

So I asked a simple question: what would the Super G look like if it was designed for the hardest tricks in the world today?

That question led to this version.

A wider, more aggressive monometal design built to maximize spin time, power, and stability.

👉 And a big part of that comes from the 56mm size and I explain why I chose that here.

The angular shape reduces string contact during fast movement, helping the yo-yo stay smooth and controlled, while the weight is pushed toward the rims for stronger spin and greater consistency.

The result is something you don’t usually get from a monometal, performance that feels like a bimetal, without the a bimetal price.

The goal for the new Super G was simple: create a yo-yo that could handle anything.

When you’re pushing big tricks, horizontal play, and long combos, where most yo-yos start to lose stability, everything has to go right, and your yo-yo can’t be the reason it doesn’t.

And that’s exactly what this Super G delivers.

I didn’t just design this yo-yo, I tested it under real pressure by using it to land some of the hardest tricks I’ve ever learned.

That includes recreating tricks from World Champions, seeing how it handles horizontal tricks like the seasick, and landing insane horizontal finger grinds, where stability, balance, and consistency matter the most.

I also combined two of my most difficult tricks here, my behind the back horizontal with a 360 horizontal seasick, something I had never done before.

These are the moments that really show what a yo-yo is capable of.

And the Super G held up every time.

It's one of the most high performance monometal yo-yos I’ve ever designed, built to push your limits and make the hardest tricks feel more possible.

G Force: Creating the Future

The G Force was designed to rethink what a high-performance yo-yo could be.

If the Super G was about going back to where everything started and evolving it, the G Force was about creating something entirely new. 

As yo-yos continued to evolve, one trend became clear: they were getting wider, more powerful, and more performance-driven than ever before. But that also created a limitation. As width increases, more weight naturally sits in the center of the yo-yo, making it harder to push performance further without the yo-yo starting to feel too heavy or slow.

So I started thinking differently. What if you could take as much weight as possible out of the body and push it even further into the rims?

That idea became the G Force.

Instead of a traditional full metal body, the G Force uses a lightweight polycarbonate body combined with oversized stainless steel rims, each weighing over 17.5 grams. That allows for significantly more rim weight than most bimetal yo-yos at this width, while still keeping the overall feel fast and maneuverable.

The result is something completely different: extreme rim weighted power, stability, and spin without the heavy or sluggish feeling that usually comes with it. It feels fast, light, and responsive, like a high power performance yo-yo without the usual tradeoffs.

Most hybrid yo-yos before this were either smaller or not built for true high level performance. The G Force was designed to change that. A full-size, wide, competition level hybrid built to push performance beyond what traditional designs allow.

This wasn’t just about improving what already existed, it was about creating something new. And for me, the G Force represents that shift, from evolving the past to helping inspire the future.

👉 To mark that moment, I recreated my 2014 World Championship routine in Prague using the G Force and performed it again at the 2025 World Yo-Yo Contest. You can see that full circle moment here.

The Speed Era: The G Speed

The G Speed was built for one purpose: speed.

Not every player was looking for the most powerful yo-yo possible. For some, it became about how efficiently you could use it, landing longer combos, cleaner tricks, and doing it all faster.

That shift led to one of the most recognizable styles in modern yo-yoing: Godspeed.

'Going Godspeed' means performing high speed combos at maximum speed while maintaining control and accuracy.

And as simple as that sounds, it changed what players needed from a yo-yo. Just like the DNA pushed the demand for fingerspin yo-yos, Godspeed created a new kind of demand, not for more power, but for more speed, control, and efficiency.

So I wanted to create something specifically for that style of play. Not bigger. Not more powerful. Just faster.

That’s where the G Speed came in.

Instead of following the trend of making yo-yos wider and more extreme, this one was designed to feel quick, controlled, and tight on the string, especially for modern speed combos and Godspeed style play. By slightly reducing the diameter to around 52mm, it naturally moves faster, while still maintaining a wider catch zone for consistency and control.

The G Speed is built for players who want to go faster without losing control, a balance many yo-yos miss. And when it comes to Godspeed style tricks, that balance is everything.

👉 I even tested this by going Godspeed faster than my 2014 World Championship routine in Prague using the G Speed, you can see it here.

But as yo-yos continued to get more powerful and easier to use, I started to notice something else…

AIRA: Train Light. Play Sharp.

Over the last few decades, yo-yos have gone through a massive evolution.

From responsive yo-yos… to long spinning unresponsive designs… to wider, more powerful, high performance models, each shift didn’t just change the yo-yos, it changed how people played.

And while that’s made it possible to land some of the hardest tricks ever, it’s also taken attention away from something just as important: how those tricks look, how they feel, and what makes a player stand out.

So I started thinking about that more deeply...

Because the types of tricks players create have always been a reflection of the yo-yos they use. I asked myself: what if there was a yo-yo designed specifically to bring that side of yo-yoing back?

That’s where AIRA came from.

A yo-yo built with a completely different purpose, to help you develop your style, improve your control, and refine the way you play.

At just 50 grams, AIRA is significantly lighter than most modern yo-yos, and that change alone completely transforms how it feels on the string.

Every movement matters more. Every mistake shows up. Nothing is hidden. The feedback is immediate, and the more you play it, the more it teaches you how to move smoother, cleaner, and more intentionally.

To make that possible without losing too much stability, AIRA uses a unique design that removes unnecessary weight from the center and redistributes it using a metal cap. Instead of following a traditional rim weighted approach, it creates a feel that’s light, slightly hollow, and unlike anything else you've played with. 

And that difference is what makes it powerful.

Because when something feels different, it changes how you play. It pushes you out of your habits, helps you explore new ideas, and is often where creativity starts, like in these boingy boing trick variations.

At the end of the day, yo-yoing is supposed to be fun. Some of the best ideas don’t come from forcing a trick, they come from experimenting, playing, and getting into that flow state.

It’s not meant to replace your main competition yo-yo. It’s a tool. The same way I used mini yo-yos to sharpen my accuracy and control, a method that helped me win my second World Title, AIRA builds those same qualities in a completely new way.

The more time you spend with it, the more your control improves, your movements become more intentional, and your tricks become smoother. 

And when you go back to your regular yo-yos, you will feel the difference immediately. AIRA isn’t about choosing between style, innovation, or difficulty.

It’s about developing all three.

If you want to see how this yo-yo came together, I break the full concept down here.

Just remember, no matter how far you go, every player starts the same way, at the beginning. And for a lot of people, what comes next isn’t always clear.

The Yo-Yo Learning System: The YoYoChampion Master Pack

For a long time, people discovered yo-yoing in very different ways, through school programs, local clubs, or just picking one up at a toy store.

Today, most people discover it on social media. They see a trick like the DNA, get inspired, and want to try it themselves.

But what comes next isn’t always clear. 

There are so many yo-yos, tutorials, and conflicting information online that knowing where to start can feel overwhelming. 

And after spending over 20 years traveling the world, teaching players, and competing at the highest level, I saw this confusion happening more and more.

Yo-yoing has always been one of the most inclusive hobbies out there, anyone can pick one up and start learning. But having a clear path to improve is where most players were getting stuck.

So I didn’t just want to create another yo-yo. I wanted to create something better, a system. Something that could guide players from their very first throw all the way to advanced tricks.

That’s why I created the new YoYoChampion Master Pack.

Instead of guessing what to buy next or what to learn next, the Master Pack walks you through each stage of progression step by step. Each yo-yo has a specific role, and together, they create a complete path forward.

It's a simple 3 step progression system designed to take you from your first throw to advanced tricks:

1. EZ Trick: Your First Throw
Your beginner responsive yo-yo designed to teach the fundamentals. Learn how to wind your yo-yo, throw a sleeper, and master your first tricks like Rock the Baby, Elevator, and Around the World.

2. Vyral: Learning Modern Tricks
Designed for today’s style of yo-yoing, the Vyral helps you learn fingerspin tricks, like the DNA, making the jump from beginner tricks to what you see online much easier.

3. Replay Pro: Your First Unresponsive Yo-Yo
Your first real unresponsive yo-yo, built to take you from your first bind to advanced tricks. It’s also the same yo-yo I used to win the U.S. National Yo-Yo Contest.

Because becoming a champion isn’t about where you start. It’s about having the right path to keep going and the Master Pack is only the beginning. 

More Than Just Yo-Yos: Play Like a Champion

When I look back at this journey, I don’t just see a timeline of products. I see my own journey reflected in how yo-yoing has evolved over time.

From learning your first throw…
to competing on stage…
to pushing the limits of what’s possible…
to helping the next generation discover it for themselves.

👉 That’s what led me to start building the YoYoChampion team, to help support and grow the next generation of players. You can see how that came together here.

Every yo-yo in this story represents a different stage of that journey.

Some were built to win titles.
Some were built to solve specific problems.
Some were built to explore completely new ideas.

But all of them were created with the same goal: To push yo-yoing forward, and to make that progression possible for everyone. 

Because yo-yoing isn’t just about tricks. It’s about passion. It’s about creativity. And it’s about the people who continue to push it forward.

The reason yo-yoing is where it is today isn’t just because of better designs or harder tricks. It’s because of the players. The community. The people who continue to show up, keep learning, and push each other to get better.

That’s what “Play Like a Champion” really means.

Show up.
Lift others up.
And never give up.

So whether you’re just starting out, learning your first DNA, or pushing your limits at the highest level… There’s always another level to reach. 

And that’s what this has always been about. But don't worry, this isn’t the end of the story. It’s just the beginning.

If you’re inspired to start or level up your own yo-yo journey, here’s how to choose the right yo-yo based on your level and style:

🏆 Best Yo-Yos for Every Level and Style

🪀 Best beginner yo-yo → YoYoChampion Master Pack  
A complete learning system designed to take you step by step from your first responsive throw to advanced unresponsive tricks.

🧩 Best beginner responsive yo-yo for learning fingerspin tricks → Vyral  
Designed to help you learn tricks like the DNA, making the jump from beginner tricks much easier.

🎯 Best first unresponsive yo-yo → Replay Pro  
The same yo-yo I used to win the U.S. National Yo-Yo Contest, built to help you learn binds and progress into unresponsive play.

⚡ Best yo-yo for speed (Godspeed) → G Speed  
Built for fast, controlled play and high-speed combo performance.

⚡ Best first metal unresponsive yo-yo → G Speed  
Designed to feel easy and controlled, making it the perfect upgrade into performance yo-yos.

🧬 Best advanced unresponsive yo-yo for fingerspin tricks → DNA or DNA King  
Built for fingerspin tricks like the DNA, making them easier to learn, control, and push further.

💪 Best yo-yo for maximum power and stability → G Force  
A wide hybrid yo-yo with oversized steel rims, built for extreme power and stability without the heavy feel.

🎯 Best yo-yo for control and training → AIRA  
A unique lightweight yo-yo designed to improve accuracy, control, and creativity.

🪀 Best all-around performance yo-yo → Super G  
A powerful monometal built for modern high-level tricks, delivering bimetal-level performance without the added cost.

You can find these and so much more in the Yoyochampion shop here.

All Gentry Stein Yo-Yos (Complete List + Timeline)

Below is a complete list of those yo-yos, so whether you’re a collector, a player, or just getting started, this guide gives you a full overview of every major Gentry Stein yo-yo.

2010 — Super G (Original)

2011 — G Funk

2013 — Shutter

2015 — Replay Pro

2016 — Nine Dragons

2016 — Titanium Shutter

2017 — Shutter Wide Angle

2017 — Shutter Evo

2018 — Shutter Mini

2019 — Shutter Mini Bimetal

2019 — Shutter Trainer

2020 — Shutter Elite

2020s — Titanium Shutter Elite

2020s — Shutter EVO

2022 — Master pack (Original)

2023 — 99 Dragons

2024 — DNA Yo-Yo

2025 — DNA King

2025 — Super G (New) 

2025 — G Force

2025 — G Speed

2026 — AIRA

2026 —  Master pack (New) 

2026 — Vyral

Explore the latest YoYoChampion models, from beginner to advanced, including the newest signature releases from our sponsored players, right here.

Common Questions About Yo-Yos (Beginner to Advanced)

Below are answers to some of the most common questions about yo-yos, from beginner basics to advanced play.

Which yo-yo did Gentry Stein use to win the National and World Championships?

Gentry Stein used the Shutter to win the U.S. National Yo-Yo Contest in 2013 and the World Yo-Yo Contest in 2014. He later used the Shutter Wide Angle to win his second World Title in 2019. He also won the 2015 U.S. National Yo-Yo Contest using the Replay Pro, proving that performance comes from the player, not just the yo-yo.

Why are there so many different types of yo-yos?

Different yo-yos are designed for different styles of play. As tricks have evolved, yo-yo designs have adapted to support longer spin times, fingerspins, speed, and control.

Some yo-yos are built for bigger, more powerful tricks, while others are designed for speed, precision, and technical play. Some are made to be more balanced and versatile, but others are specialized for specific styles, which is why so many different types exist.

What is the difference between a beginner yo-yo and a professional yo-yo?

Beginner yo-yos are typically responsive, meaning they return to your hand easily and help you learn the basics. Professional yo-yos are usually unresponsive, allowing for longer spin times, advanced tricks, and greater control as you progress.

What is a monometal yo-yo?

A monometal yo-yo is made from a single piece of metal, usually aluminum. These yo-yos are known for their durability, consistency, and affordability, making them a popular choice for a wide range of players.

What is a bimetal yo-yo?

A bimetal yo-yo uses two metals, typically an aluminum body with stainless steel rims. This allows more weight to be concentrated on the outer edges, increasing power, stability, and spin time.

What is a hybrid yo-yo

A hybrid yo-yo combines materials, most commonly a plastic body with metal rims or hubs. This allows designers to push weight toward the edges for more stability and spin power, while keeping the overall feel lighter and faster than full metal designs. Hybrid yo-yos are often used to balance performance with control.

For example, hybrid designs like the G Force push rim weighting even further to maximize stability and performance.

What is a fingerspin yo-yo?

A fingerspin yo-yo features a hub, dimple or cap, that allows it to spin on your finger. This makes tricks like the DNA easier to learn and control, and has become a key feature in modern yo-yo design.

What type of yo-yo do professionals use?
Professional yo-yos vary widely depending on the player and style. Differences in shape, weight distribution, and materials all affect how a yo-yo performs. 

Most professional players use unresponsive yo-yos for longer spin times and greater control. While many choose bimetal or hybrid designs for added power and stability, high-performance monometal yo-yos are still widely used at the highest level for their speed, consistency, and feel.

Modern performance yo-yos are designed to support different styles and skill levels, from learning your first advanced tricks to competing at the highest level.

What is the DNA yo-yo trick?

The DNA is a trick where the yo-yo lands on your finger and spins in a tight spiral while the string wraps around it. It became one of the most viral yo-yo tricks on social media.

What is Godspeed in yo-yoing?

Godspeed is a style of yo-yoing focused on performing tricks, usually speed combos, at maximum speed while maintaining control and accuracy. It is one of the most advanced and visually impressive styles in modern play.

Why are some yo-yos more expensive than others?

Yo-yo prices vary based on materials and construction. Monometal yo-yos are more affordable, while bimetal, hybrid and titanium yo-yos require more complex manufacturing and offer higher performance.

How has yo-yo design changed over time?

Yo-yo design has evolved from simple responsive toys into highly engineered performance tools. Most modern yo-yos are wider, more stable, and more specialized, enabling longer combos, faster play, and new trick styles like fingerspins and Godspeed.

What is the best yo-yo brand?

The best yo-yo brand depends on your goals. Some focus on competition-level performance, others on beginner-friendly designs, and others on innovation. Different brands have shaped yo-yoing by introducing new ideas, materials, and styles of play. 

At YoYoChampion, the focus is on creating yo-yos that support every step of that journey, from your first throw to the world stage.