Twisted Stringz Trifecta Bearing
Reviewed by Chris Rhoads
October 21, 2012
Introduction
Bearings are always such a subjective topic among the various players in the community. So much so in fact that if you were to place ten yoyo enthusiasts in a room and asked them what their bearing of choice was you would probably end up with ten different answers.
Recently I was asked by Jen over at Twisted Stringz if I would give her newest bearing, the Trifecta, a shot. Not having the best luck with specialty bearings, I was apprehensive at first but after reading up on it I decided to give hers a shot. Those of you who are unfamiliar with Twisted Stringz, Jen started the company back in 2011. Her story is similar to many other string upstarts on the market today. She tried quite a few brands on the market and none seemed to fit her preferences so she struck out to make her own. After much trial and error she refined her process and opened up her doors. Her philosophy was simple, provide the yo-yo community with a quality product that will help players learn and improve their skills on all levels. Twisted Stringz has now expanded into the bearing arena. It is time to see if their bearings retain the same level quality that they hold their strings to.
Construction
The Trifecta is a large C-Sized, stainless steel bearing. The name of the bearing comes from the fact that it combines ideas from three of the more popular bearings on the market. The outer race has a curved channel cut into it like the Dif-e-Yo KonKave bearing. At the center of the channel there is a string-gripping groove similar to what is found in Crucial’s Grooved line of bearings. The guts of the bearing houses a crown cage with ten balls in it not unlike what is found in One Drops 10-Ball bearings. While the Trifecta is a ten ball bearing they are not made by the same company that One Drop sources their bearing from. The One Drop bearing uses a sturdier ribbon cage to hold the balls. The shields of the bearing are held in place with simple C-Clips making for easy maintenance. Overall the Trifecta’s build quality is on the high end. I would have liked a ribbon cage, but I have had a bearing disintegrate on me and it seemed the crown cage was the weakness. If you are keeping the shields on, something that I don’t do, then you shouldn’t have to worry about what cage is in there.
Playability
Long time readers to the site know that I do not like specialty bearings. In fact I end up just calling them gimmick bearings. Give me a high quality, steel, flat bearing and I will call it a day. I do not need ceramic, gold, grooves, channels, or any other thing you can think of. That being said, I went into this review trying to keep biases at bay with the intention of seeing if this would finally be the specialty bearing that I would like. On paper it seemed like a great idea. In practice I had mixed results. To be perfectly straight forward, the Trifecta works great but it has to be paired with the right yoyo. In lighter throws, like Slithering Hippo’s The Answer and One Drop’s 54 set with Ultra Lights, the Trifecta works as it should. It gave solid binds while keeping the string away from the walls. Heavier yo-yos are where I ran into problems. I spent a month with this bearing primarily using it with my One Drop Burnside. In that yo-yo the Trifecta’s string centering properties worked a little too well. It kept the string away from the walls and impeded binds. Specifically I found that my binds began to slip quite a bit and I had to throw more string in the gap to get the yo-yo to return to my hand. Something that I didn’t have to do with the stock bearing installed. While the play may not be optimal across all types of yo-yos one thing the Trifecta has going for it is that it is one of the quietest specialty bearings I have ever used. It never fails; every other channel bearing I have used ends up sounding like someone is shoving a bear, feet first, into a wood chipper. The Trifecta remained whisper quiet throughout the entire test period.
Final Thoughts
So did the Trifecta end up changing my mind about specialty bearings? Not exactly. I still prefer a standard flat bearing. At the same time I can see these being great for people who prefer a light yo-yo and those who are just learning how to throw. While it is not for me, the Trifecta has been great for my 8 year old son who is just starting out and does not have a straight throw. I think all of us can remember when we were first learning, more specifically we can remember the unexpected cracks to the knuckles due to the string hitting the response when we didn’t want it to. At the end of the day the Trifecta is a quality specialty bearing that needs to be paired with a certain type of yo-yo or a certain type of player. It may not be right for everyone but for those that need it; the Trifecta will certainly help.
#1 by Jack Yuan on October 21, 2012 - 11:07 am
Quote
The first review on bearings I’ve seen.
Just one thing though – if you start yoyoing using concave/groove bearings, it gets you into a bad habit of yoyoing on a lazy throw, as the bearing will compensate to an extent, speaking with experience. I’d say yo get a good even, straight throw, always practise on a flat bearing. Save the concave when you need the extra “oomph”, such as performing at competitions.
Also, apparently having a flat bearing helps with suicides (or so I’ve read somewhere) as the friction between the pads and the string keep the loop open for you to catch – is that strictly true, or does it just depend on your suicide technique?
#2 by FrantaB on October 21, 2012 - 11:42 am
Quote
You are always saying that centering bearings are just for beginners that needs help with their throw, than why almost all top players use some kind of centering bearings?
#3 by Chris on October 27, 2012 - 4:57 pm
Quote
I would not go so far as to say “Almost all”, I know a couple of players who compete on the National level and they do not use them. If others do, then good on them. Where I have seen centering bearings used most is when people start out and do not want to smack their hands because the response grabbed the string at an inopportune time. As I said in the opening paragraph, bearings are subjective. What one like another will not.
#4 by Chris on October 27, 2012 - 4:59 pm
Quote
I agree. The only reason I am letting my son use one at the moment is because I would rather him enjoy yo-yoing and correct bad habits later than get frustrated off the bat and never pick up his yo-yo.
As for suicides, I think the bearing plays a part in it but the throw and technique are key.