If you’ve spent even a few minutes scrolling on TikTok or Reels, you’ve probably seen it, a yo-yo moving so fast it looks unreal. And that style? 

Something yo-yo players call...Godspeed.

In modern yo-yoing, going Godspeed basically means performing a speed combo at maximum speed while maintaining control and accuracy.

While speed combos have existed in competitive yo-yoing for years, the style exploded online when players began posting their fastest and craziest combos on social media. Many of these clips went viral, and suddenly players all over the world were trying to see how fast they could really go.

It didn’t take long before players started turning their Godspeed yo-yoing into challenges.

Some were incredibly difficult.
Some looked almost impossible.
And a few seemed to defy the laws of physics.

Here are 6 of the most popular Godspeed challenges ever attempted.

Challenge #1: The Blindfolded Godspeed Combo 

One day I noticed a few players started posting videos going Godspeed without even looking at the yo-yo. So of course I had to jump in and try it myself (you can watch that attempt here).

But things didn’t stop there.

Not long after, one of the most viral Godspeed creators, Angel2Up, raised the stakes and challenged me to take it even further:

“Go Godspeed blindfolded.”

Now this wasn’t my first time yo-yoing blindfolded. Not long before that, I had actually challenged my friend and European Champion Tomas Bubak to a blindfolded yo-yo challenge (you can watch that here).

But going Godspeed blindfolded? That’s on a completely different level. 

Still… as a 2× World Yo-Yo Champion, I never back down from a challenge so I decided to try it and you can see what happened here.

Challenge #2: Going Godspeed with a Mini Yo-Yo

Most players going Godspeed use wide, competition-style yo-yos. The extra width helps make it easier to keep super fast combos stable and under control.

But the internet always wants to push things a step further, so the next challenge became:

“Can you go Godspeed with your smallest yo-yo?”

Mini yo-yos are much harder to control at high speed. Because the yo-yo is smaller, there’s less room to land your tricks on the string, which means every movement has to be much more precise.

Still, that didn’t stop players from trying.

It wasn't before long that creators everywhere were attempting to go Godspeed with mini yo-yos, including videos like this one from @justjosh, who manages to keep this speed combo smooth even with a mini yo-yo. 

This is also why mini yo-yos like the Shutter Mini  can be a great training tool for improving accuracy. When you practice on a mini yo-yo and then switch back to a normal size yo-yo, your tricks suddenly feel much easier to land.

This was also my top secret training strategy that I used to win the 2014 world yo-yo contest which you can see more about here.

Challenge #3: The “Crazy Combo” Godspeed Challenge

This challenge comes from one of the most viral yo-yo creators on TikTok, @angel2up, someone many players call the 'father of modern Godspeed'. He helped turn the style into a worldwide trend, not just by going lightning fast, but by adding other insane tricks directly into his speed combos.

In one of his most famous videos, he takes on a challenge from a commenter and attempts to hit God Flow, Tech, Laceration, Slow, Angel, Demon, and the DNA all in one go. 

You can watch Angel2Up try this godspeed combo here.

Challenge #4: The Blacklight Godspeed Challenge 

Glow in the dark and UV reactive yo-yos have always been popular, but going Godspeed with one takes things to a whole other level. When the lights go out and the glowing yo-yo starts moving at full speed, the glowing spin becomes almost hypnotic to watch.

One of the best examples is this video here from U.S. Women’s National Champion @bellafreestylin. She’s also famous for landing the DNA with four yo-yos and even tried to teach it to me here.

If you're new to yo-yoing but want to try some epic tricks under a black light, the YoYoChampion Vyral is a great place to start. The yo-yo is UV reactive, which means it glows under black light and makes tricks like the DNA look even more incredible while you’re learning.

The Vyral also starts out responsive, making it easier for beginners to learn the core fundamentals of yo-yoing. Once you feel comfortable with the basics, you can switch to an unresponsive bearing and begin learning all of the foundational tricks that eventually lead to speed combos and even going Godspeed.

It also features a fingerspin hub, which makes it much easier to learn viral modern tricks like the DNA.

If you're just getting started, the easiest way to get the Vyral is inside the YoYoChampion Master Pack, which includes three yo-yos designed to guide players from their very first tricks all the way to advanced play. 

Challenge #5: The Yo-Yo's Cousin, The Diabolo Godspeed Challenge

Once Godspeed took over yo-yo TikTok, players started asking a new question:
“Can you go Godspeed with a different toy?”

One of the most popular versions of this challenge was going Godspeed with a diabolo, the yo-yo’s bigger cousin that uses two sticks and a spinning spool.

And the creators who really made this challenge blow up?
@SpyrosBros, Marc and Marco, who brought full Godspeed energy into their diabolo flow which you can see here.

Challenge #6: Faster Than a World Champion

As Godspeed exploded online, creators everywhere started tagging some of the best yo-yo players in the world with one message:

“Let’s see you beat this.”

Some even took it a step further by tracking down world champions in real life, including me.

YouTuber and Australian National Champion @BrandonVu came all the way to California to challenge me to a Godspeed battle, which you can watch here.

By that point, it was clear that Godspeed wasn’t just another yo-yo trend. Players at every level, from beginner to the world's best, were trying it and pushing their speeds even further.

Want to Join in on the Godspeed Challenges? 

You don’t need to be a world champion to try any of these challenges. But it’s worth knowing that Godspeed is built from speed combos, and those skills take time to develop.

Every creator who goes Godspeed started the same way: learning the basics, building a strong foundation, and slowly gaining speed and control over time.

That’s why I always repeat the YoYoChampion motto:

Show up. Never give up. Lift others up.

If you stick with it, you will eventually get faster, cleaner, and more confident. And remember, it’s not about beating anyone or proving you’re “the best.” Godspeed is about having fun, pushing your own limits, and seeing how far you can go.

If you want to see a perfect example of this energy, check out the Godspeed Challenge from @angel2up here. It’s literally just players having fun, tagging each other, and seeing how many wild tricks they can squeeze into one combo.

On my YouTube channel @gentrystein, I break down many of the foundations behind speed combos and modern yo-yo tricks like Godspeed, and I’ll be diving deeper into these techniques over time.

And once you start practicing faster combos, another question naturally comes up: what is the best yo-yo for going Godspeed?

What is The Best Yo-Yo for Going Godspeed?

A lot of the Godspeed challenges you see online are done with yo-yos that intentionally make things extra difficult, minis, heavy setups, ultra-light yo-yos, even beginner plastics. That’s part of the fun!

But if your goal is to actually stay fast, clean, and in control, what kind of yo-yo makes Godspeed easier?

In general, yo-yos that work well for Godspeed feel stable at high speed, spin for a long time and aren't too big or small. Slightly wider shapes, having a balanced weight distribution, and forgiving catch zones all help keep fast front-style combos under control.

You don’t technically need a specific yo-yo to go Godspeed but the right one will definitely make it easier (and more fun). 

After winning two world titles and four U.S. national titles, I had a pretty clear idea of what a yo-yo built for speed combos should feel like.

And that’s exactly why I designed the G Speed.

The Best Yo-Yo to go Godspeed 

My goal when designing the G Speed was simple: create a yo-yo that feels super fast on the string while still giving players enough room to land their hardest tricks.

One of the key design choices was using a slightly smaller diameter, which naturally makes the yo-yo feel quicker and more agile during speed combos.

At the same time, I didn’t want the yo-yo to feel too small or unforgiving. That’s why the G Speed still has a 50mm width, which is still considered to be a wide yo-yo. That extra width creates a wider catch zone that helps players combos stay clean and consistent.

The result is a yo-yo that feels fast, nimble, and controlled, exactly what you want when pushing speed combos to their absolute limit.

Some larger yo-yos with bigger diameters and extreme width can be great for huge “banger” tricks like arm tricks, neck tricks, and other risky elements. But when it comes to rapid front-style speed combos, a slightly smaller and more agile yo-yo often feels much faster and easier to control.

G Speed Specs

• Diameter: 52mm
• Width: 50mm
• Weight: 65g
• Bearing: Concave
• Response Pads: 19mm slim 

Balancing between speed and forgiveness is exactly what the G Speed was designed to do.

Yo-Yos for Every Trick and Skill Level

Over the years I’ve also designed a full lineup of YoYoChampion yo-yos built to help players progress all the way from beginner to world champion. 

If you’re looking for the right yo-yo to start learning or to push your tricks to the next level, you can explore the full YoYoChampion collection here.

Other Viral Yo-Yo Tricks and Challenges on Social Media

Godspeed hasn’t been the only yo-yo trick to explode online. One of the biggest examples is the DNA, a finger-spin trick that since 2020 has been viewed over a billion times on social media and helped spark a worldwide yo-yo movement.

If you want to learn more about the history and evolution of the DNA trick, I’ll be putting together a full breakdown in the Ultimate Guide to the DNA. And if you want to see the journey I went on trying to design what I believe is the world’s best DNA yo-yo, you can check that out here.

First it was DNA.
Then it was Godspeed.

So what comes next?

The Future of Godspeed

Godspeed started as a competitive yo-yo technique built around fast speed combos. But thanks to social media, it has turned into something much bigger, a global challenge shared by players all over the world.

And just like the DNA before it, Godspeed continues to evolve as new players experiment with faster combos, new variations, and even crazier challenges.

Who knows what the next viral yo-yo trick will be. Maybe the next challenge hasn’t even been invented yet. Maybe you’ll be the one to create it.

If you do, don't forget to tag @YoYoChampion.