Abstract: The switching control strategy proposed here stabilizes the yoyo by determining when to start its activation. The discrete return map associated with the original continuous system was analyzed and shown to possess a single physically relevant fixed point. Stability is guaranteed as long as the control parameter, which determines the magnitude of the acceleration, is above a certain level. The stabilizing power of the proposed control algorithm is successfully demonstrated on a realtime robotic yoyo playing system. Theoretical predictions regarding the fixed point of the return map are confirmed experimentally.