Reviews of the Yoyojam Patriot yoyo. Add your own review or post a comment!
These past several months, the yo-yo designers at YYJ certainly have been busy coming up with one new conception after the other. It has been a long time coming, but the Patriot, has made the wait worthwhile. Not only in playability, but in Price, as well. I’m sure the introduction of the FreeHand had a lot of influence on the birth of the Patriot…so my thanks goes out to Duncan, as well. The Patriot will always be compared and judged with the playability of the FH. IMO every FH owner should also have a Patriot, as well. These are two of the Finest yoyo’s that have ever been conceived. The “Pat” is highly recommended, as is, the FH. The Patriot comes in 3 flavors… Rapper Red - Woosie White - and Billy Bob Thorton, Blue. The “Pat” weighs in at a very comfortable 62.0 grams. It is approximately 1 5/8″ wide (1/8″ wider than the FH) and it sports a 13 mm bearing (O.D.) which is approximately 1/2″. The Return System consists of 30, of the small 1/4″ long diamonds, plus 4 (four)…6 mm Holes placed strategically around each yoyo half. The Pat also features the AGS (Adjustable Gap System) allowing each individual player the freedom of selecting the gap suitable for their own style of play. At first, I had a bit of a problem with the “backspin” on the Blue model, but after opening the Gap just a tad bit wider, and allowing more freedom between the diamonds and the string…it smoothed right out. One thing to remember when it comes to yoing…or any other sport, for that matter… what works or doesn’t work for someone else, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to affect you the same way. You have to find out what’s best for yourself, and don’t be afraid to try different things. On the gap adjustments…too wide will probably produce little or no response. Too narrow could produce a “very fast” return and possible pain, if it comes back unexpectedly. All in all, IMO…the Patriot is a “must have” yo-yo and the price of $15.00 is very respectable.
Submitted by Hoosier Rudy 12/07/01
Yahoo! I love it when a fresh box of yoyos shows up in the mail. Mmmmmmm… The smell of fresh yoyos *drool*… Mmmmmm. I ordered one blue and one white Patriot. The blue is a totally wicked transparent color that’s very similar to the SSF. The white is always nice to have for dying or just showing off tricks. These babies are WIDE, but not to the point where they feel odd. I like ‘em! They have a very similar feel in the palm of your hand to the Duncan Freehand. I must say, after playing with my Freehand for so long, I had almost given up on anything with starbursts. I still think friction disks are one of the best response systems out there, but with such a massive range of gap adjustments, the Patriot makes for a real gem. YoYoJam nailed it with this one. You can dial in the grab of the ‘bursts to exactly where you like ‘em. The bearing is simply HUGE. This coupled with a big recess allows you to either tighten it up for a smaller gap and lots of response or twist it wide open without risk of the string falling between the bearing and the body. Now that my bearing has worn in, I find the Patriot is a bit on the unresponsive side with the gap opened up wide. I love this characteristic in a yoyo; where can do tricks that work with only the sleepiest of yo’s. Keep in mind that with the gap opened up you can always add a drop of lube if you like your yo’s a bit snappier. It’s hard to find a yoyo that’s as versatile as this one, in my opinion. It does everything well from begginer tricks to complex multi-layered, whip catchin’, suicide commitin’, laceration performin’ (You get the picture!)stuff. The patriot appeals to me in the same way the Renegade always did, but takes it to the next level. It has nice play characteristics, good feel in the hand, no friction disks to replace, but spins way smoother than any Gade I’ve ever owned. It has the smoothness and precision that we’ve all come to love and expect from any YoYoJam product. And hey, with a butterfly shape this wide, how could you ever miss a beat? You gotta try one and for only $13.95 at Yoyoplay.com its one of the best deals going. Thanks and keep up the good work YoYoJam… You guys make this hobby fun!
Submitted by SCUBA Steve 12/09/01
I got this yo-yo yesterday and this thing is my second favorite yo-yo (under the FH1) it has a ASG and a sun pattern around the bearing with is a first for YoYojam the only down side to that is you can’t put stickers on it to make it come back easier but if that bugs you just close the gap a little. the bearing is a little bit longer then the others. Although i don’t like the side caps or the name (sorry i am not much of a patriot) that easily fixed by making your own sides caps or buying them from some one. for $15 i say go get it!
Submitted by Tony 12/31/02