This was a winning freestyle, but not winning execution. He placed so high despite his mistakes because he scores a LOT of points when he isn't messing up -- and rightfully so. I would have been thrilled to see this clean, but ah well. I still enjoyed this, and Zach's innovation blows my mind.
In my opinions this should have been placed lower. Last year, he undoubtedly deserved to win first. However, this had so many mistakes. The way he choreographs his moves (how animated and extended his whole body) makes his mistakes forgivable in a way, and barely noticable. A lot of the competitors below him had smoother performances imo. Here are some weird examples: 0:27 (he misses his double triangle pacman thing) 0:39 (he misses a straight on trapeze) 0:43 (he drops his yoyo in a sting segment) 0:57 (drops another trick) 1:23 (messes up his string formation because he dropped it) 1:43 (confused himself and then gets flustered) 2:16 (the way he presents this trick, it looks very messy and idk if not hitting the string or missing it is intentional) 2:25 (green triangle miss, and tries to make it as an intentional drop) 2:38 (his clumsy speed makes him hit his hand) 2:40 (clumsy speed again makes him drop that string hit) 2:48 (seems like he dropped his arm wrap) 3:05 (misses his arm trapeze) 3:12 (string miss) 3:15 (was he intentionally going to miss that?) The way he plays is so good for hiding his mistakes. When he misses and he makes up for it by the flow of his animated choreography, like it was intentional. On the other hand, I will give it to him that his tricks are very hard and technical. But the harder the tricks, the easier it is to fuck up and in a way, Zach was only scored by the "concept" of his technical tricks and not really his performance. A lot of his execution is sloppy, rough and something that would not even count as top 3 imo. I could compare this example with Janos. He won worlds 2014 because of his clean performance, but placed 10th for numerous drops with a fairly similar set of tricks. However, it was objectively cleaner than zach's going from first, to third (he ditched head wraps, he ditched horizontal tricks, and it was less acrobatic. Basically 2015 was far superior than 2016). On the other side of the perspective, maybe worlds changed the weight of importance in critiquing competitors. I remember when speed was everything. People like Iori Yamaki, Hiroyuki Suzuki, Marcus Koh(when he played faster), Christopher Chia and so on dominated because of their speed and the fast string hits per performance. Now we see people dominating are creativity and artistic performances such as Zach's. I would never imagined 3 years ago that he would win worlds and would only hope for him in top 10. I wouldn't have imagined people like Ayumu, Takeshi and Keiran would place high in finals. Now we see speed players like shinya and hiroyuki farther last. This opinion is very subjective since a lot of people have different preferences in what they like in a yoyo performance.
Chris Godsey that's the whole point of my comment. The way he moves makes it look really rough and sketchy, due to his technical tricks and the pace he is trying to do them. he hides them, and at the same time, he shows some flaws
Gustavo Yuji I didnt say speed players cant win worlds. I am just saying that due to the past winners, it seems that more creative and technical players are getting more recognition in scoring. The last 3 winners are Janos, Zach and Gentry, While the past generation before that was Hiroyuki, Shinya and Marcus(now changing his playstyle to a slower one). The meta in my opinion changed to this type of original and technical playstyle.
Despite the many mistakes though, he still got top 3 and beat a few perfectly clean performances. I love this performance, and yes it could have been better but simply the fact he got top 3 with so many mistakes while some of the competition hardly made any really puts into perspective how good his tricks are and how well they score. I think. Right?
I was disappointed to be honest. If he had a year to work on a freestyle from something as amazing as his worlds 2015 freestyle with no other competitions to worry about, then I expected something better than last year, but to me this was worse.
He was really busy with school, and imo, this performance was 100% better choreography wise and had way more potential. He simply didn't hit a lot of tricks, even if you practiced for a year you still might not be clean.
His 2015 worlds freestyle was better to be honest. None of his other freestyles compare to it IMO. It just had everything, great tech, good and clean execution and great music use, the last two things are things that this one lacks.
I thought you were joking the first time I read the end of your comment. Music use? Really? Last year sounded like a blender threw up. This years performance looked like Zach lived with music and actually choreographed his routine to it. The performance wasn't just technical, it was expressive. Last year was sprinkled with unity, where as this routine connected with the music beautifully from start to finish (of one expressive song), even with all the mistakes. The string issue was really the only time the routine seemed to be separated from the music. Everyone else on the other hand, even Gentry, are only working with the music sometimes. Last years performance seems to work with the music at the beginning of each change and then occasionally besides that. This was the first performance I have seen from anyone where I didn't say, "I just wished they would have choreographed more with the actual music.
+redmusic1 Gonna have to disagree with you there. Last year almost every movement of the yoyo went along with the music. This year, while more expressive, does less to actually have the yoyo sync up with every beat of the music.
+redmusic1 It's easy to say this performance was more expressive when he's using such theatrical music. The music he used in 2015 may have sucked, but he timed his tricks with the music a lot better.
This is what yoyoing should be.
This is what life should be
Yea
Brian Low
coulda been the greatest performance ever if he went clean
well said.
So hauntingly beautiful.
This defines Epic. Best performance of the contest imo
ive have watched this performance like 10 times its amazing!!
@2.00 onwards. I’m in heaven
very-very nice!
Ugh this is gorgeous
*Goosebumps*
Hats off to you my man!
This is an art.
This was a winning freestyle, but not winning execution. He placed so high despite his mistakes because he scores a LOT of points when he isn't messing up -- and rightfully so. I would have been thrilled to see this clean, but ah well. I still enjoyed this, and Zach's innovation blows my mind.
In my opinions this should have been placed lower. Last year, he undoubtedly deserved to win first. However, this had so many mistakes. The way he choreographs his moves (how animated and extended his whole body) makes his mistakes forgivable in a way, and barely noticable. A lot of the competitors below him had smoother performances imo. Here are some weird examples:
0:27 (he misses his double triangle pacman thing)
0:39 (he misses a straight on trapeze)
0:43 (he drops his yoyo in a sting segment)
0:57 (drops another trick)
1:23 (messes up his string formation because he dropped it)
1:43 (confused himself and then gets flustered)
2:16 (the way he presents this trick, it looks very messy and idk if not hitting the string or missing it is intentional)
2:25 (green triangle miss, and tries to make it as an intentional drop)
2:38 (his clumsy speed makes him hit his hand)
2:40 (clumsy speed again makes him drop that string hit)
2:48 (seems like he dropped his arm wrap)
3:05 (misses his arm trapeze)
3:12 (string miss)
3:15 (was he intentionally going to miss that?)
The way he plays is so good for hiding his mistakes. When he misses and he makes up for it by the flow of his animated choreography, like it was intentional. On the other hand, I will give it to him that his tricks are very hard and technical. But the harder the tricks, the easier it is to fuck up and in a way, Zach was only scored by the "concept" of his technical tricks and not really his performance. A lot of his execution is sloppy, rough and something that would not even count as top 3 imo.
I could compare this example with Janos. He won worlds 2014 because of his clean performance, but placed 10th for numerous drops with a fairly similar set of tricks. However, it was objectively cleaner than zach's going from first, to third (he ditched head wraps, he ditched horizontal tricks, and it was less acrobatic. Basically 2015 was far superior than 2016).
On the other side of the perspective, maybe worlds changed the weight of importance in critiquing competitors. I remember when speed was everything. People like Iori Yamaki, Hiroyuki Suzuki, Marcus Koh(when he played faster), Christopher Chia and so on dominated because of their speed and the fast string hits per performance. Now we see people dominating are creativity and artistic performances such as Zach's. I would never imagined 3 years ago that he would win worlds and would only hope for him in top 10. I wouldn't have imagined people like Ayumu, Takeshi and Keiran would place high in finals. Now we see speed players like shinya and hiroyuki farther last.
This opinion is very subjective since a lot of people have different preferences in what they like in a yoyo performance.
At 2:25 that's actually the trick he hit right it's really hard I was able too break it down
But a speed player won worlds this year
Chris Godsey that's the whole point of my comment. The way he moves makes it look really rough and sketchy, due to his technical tricks and the pace he is trying to do them. he hides them, and at the same time, he shows some flaws
Gustavo Yuji I didnt say speed players cant win worlds. I am just saying that due to the past winners, it seems that more creative and technical players are getting more recognition in scoring. The last 3 winners are Janos, Zach and Gentry, While the past generation before that was Hiroyuki, Shinya and Marcus(now changing his playstyle to a slower one). The meta in my opinion changed to this type of original and technical playstyle.
+Gab Riel Oh yeah by the way Janos won in 2013 Gentry in 2014.
Despite the many mistakes though, he still got top 3 and beat a few perfectly clean performances. I love this performance, and yes it could have been better but simply the fact he got top 3 with so many mistakes while some of the competition hardly made any really puts into perspective how good his tricks are and how well they score. I think. Right?
I was disappointed to be honest. If he had a year to work on a freestyle from something as amazing as his worlds 2015 freestyle with no other competitions to worry about, then I expected something better than last year, but to me this was worse.
He was really busy with school, and imo, this performance was 100% better choreography wise and had way more potential. He simply didn't hit a lot of tricks, even if you practiced for a year you still might not be clean.
anyone know what jojo zach is using here?
The fact that with that many mistakes he was able to go so far...
string,string tepy?
His 2015 worlds freestyle was better to be honest. None of his other freestyles compare to it IMO. It just had everything, great tech, good and clean execution and great music use, the last two things are things that this one lacks.
His 2014 was best in tech and trick wise honestly it was just missing the music
I thought you were joking the first time I read the end of your comment. Music use? Really? Last year sounded like a blender threw up. This years performance looked like Zach lived with music and actually choreographed his routine to it. The performance wasn't just technical, it was expressive. Last year was sprinkled with unity, where as this routine connected with the music beautifully from start to finish (of one expressive song), even with all the mistakes. The string issue was really the only time the routine seemed to be separated from the music. Everyone else on the other hand, even Gentry, are only working with the music sometimes. Last years performance seems to work with the music at the beginning of each change and then occasionally besides that. This was the first performance I have seen from anyone where I didn't say, "I just wished they would have choreographed more with the actual music.
+redmusic1 Gonna have to disagree with you there. Last year almost every movement of the yoyo went along with the music. This year, while more expressive, does less to actually have the yoyo sync up with every beat of the music.
+redmusic1 It's easy to say this performance was more expressive when he's using such theatrical music. The music he used in 2015 may have sucked, but he timed his tricks with the music a lot better.
The music tho
what song?
peter gabriel - my body is a cage
borealis?
I think that's Compass
His string is shorter this time.
anybody else notice that only clyw players yoyo to this kind of music?
They do not.
If he would have landed one more trick he would have won.
I just wish he didn't mess up so much
he misses to string 1.26
he misses to string 1:26
...He got the same place as betty
?
I mean amount of points...
+MustachedMushroom u realize the points are just in comparison to your own division right?
+Patrick Hu yeah I'm just saying
This one is not greatest from Zach, but damn.