Like most of the other "basic" looping type tricks, this is something you can start without a huge amount of experiance. You'll want to be very familiar and comfortable with your yo-yo, however, as this involves swinging it in the area over your face.
It may be benificial to know Planet Hop first (the one that goes in two directions over your hand), as it is like Reach for the Moon but upside down. You aren't fighting gravity. Then again, this is not a firm rule. Many people (including me) learned Reach for the Moon before Planet Hop and are doing alright now.
Reach for the Moon belongs to a different class of tricks than things like inside loops, hop the fence, etc. Because of this, you may want to use different equipment.
For this trick, I would definately recommend a fixed axle yo-yo. The last thing you want is your yo-yo stalling unexpectedly while hovering over your face. However, you want a shape and weight distribution the opposite of that for the standard looping tricks.
Basically, a butterfly yo-yo should be the easiest. Because the yo-yo does not flip during the trick (more on that later), having weight towards the rim makes the yo-yo more stable.
Some examples might be a Viper (also nice because of the soft rubber if it hits you), fixed axle Tigershark (even though it is a bit heavy), fixed axle Cherry Bomb (personal favorite), Apollo Pro, ProYo GT, TBBee GT, and various other butterflies. Even a Duncan Butterfly works well if you have one with a decent gap (and it doesn't fall apart).
Note: But keep in mind that doing Reach for the Moon with an imperial yo-yo is not as bad as doing inside loops with a butterfly. The trick is not as easy with an imperial, but it isn't especially ill-suited either. This is fortunate since imperials are more versatile in general.
If you are just used to things like inside loops, this trick will seem very foreign at first. The yo-yo travels in an arc (a parabola for you math buffs) over your head. It settles into a something between a "U" shape and "L" shape. It is a half-moon shape, like when the moon is a sliver in the sky. This is where the trick gets its name from.
It starts with a high forward pass. The yo-yo returns, but instead of catching it, it swings under your hand, and then goes nearly straight up into the air. It returns from that and swings under your hand a second time (going in the opposite direction) to go out forwards again. Then it repeats as many times as you can do it.
Generally it is caught with the palm up after it has swung outward like a forward pass.
Unlike Inside Loops and Hop the Fences, Reach for the Moon belongs to a whole other class of tricks (which also encompases Planet Hops, Stalls, and several kinds of regeneration). There are two main differences.
The first is that the yo-yo does NOT flip over. The yo-yo winds up and then unwinds again, with a spin opposite from the origional one. Notice that if you throw a forward pass, after catching it, you need to turn your hand over before you can throw it again. That is because of this change in spin that happens.
This is used to our advantage in this particular trick. The forward pass comes back, it unwinds with the opposite spin which works well for the yo-yo goes in another direction (in this case straight up), and then the opposite happens when the yo-yo is sent out forwards again, resetting the trick.
Because the yo-yo does not flip, everything must be kept totally straight at a 12 o'clock angle. There is no special angles involved.
So where does string tension fit in? The yo-yo does not flip, so the tension is not effected that way. Each time the yo-yo passes under your hand, the tension is effected, but it is undone when the yo-yo passes under the opposite way. So string tension is not effected by this trick. You could theoretically keep doing it until the string broke or your arm totally cramped.
How tight do you want the string? Since you aren't worrying about the tension, have a somewhat neutral tension. Tight enough that the yo-yo doesn't tend to stall at the end of the string, and loose enough that the string isn't wanting to bunch up.
Note: Especially when you are practicing this trick in the beginning, the string tension will change. Why? Because a forward pass changes the tension half a turn. Because the trick begins and ends like a forward pass, this means that the tension is changed by half a turn for the entire trick. This is not very noticible when you do 50 reps of the trick at a time (it is only changed half a turn for that entire 50), but when you are trying to do one rep each time, it adds up quickly, especially since you are likely throwing test forward passes in between attempts to make sure the string is alright.
The gap to string ratio effects the heights of both the upswing and the outswing. The upswing tends to be more noticible though (probably since it is the part that is airborn over your face hehe).
A wider gap or thinner string will tend to make the yo-yo go farther forwards in front of you on the upswing, and make the yo-yo go higher on the outswing. This makes for a tighter arc.
A smaller gap or thicker string will tend to make the yo-yo go farther behind you on the upswing, and make the yo-yo go lower on the outswing. This makes for a wider arc.
A short string will do the same thing as a wider gap and will make the trick faster. A longer string will do the same thing as a thinner gap and will make the trick slower.
One thing to notice. You might ask why does the yo-yo want to go upward for no apparant reason? Why does it then want to go outward again? Try to think of it like this. Because of physics with momentum, etc. the yo-yo will tend to pivot around your finger. In around the world, you throw a forward pass but the yo-yo continues around in a circle because the string holds it, and your finger is a pivot.
It is the same thing in reach for the moon, only you have the added fact that the yo-yo winds and undwinds. You throw it up and then gravity takes over pulling the yo-yo down. The yo-yo starts to wind up but continues to be pulled down. If you've done the trick right, it'll wind mostly up but also will stay several inches below your hand.
The energy from gravity and the winding up make the yo-yo keep moving, and your hand is the pivot. So it goes from straight down and mostly wound up, to the yo-yo pointing towards you and starting to unwind. It continues to pivot and unwind and turns out unwinding just about straight up in the air. Then the opposite happens on the down swing.
So the yo-yo tends to follow a "U" shape, where it really does SWING under your hand while it winds and unwinds. Maybe a swingset on a rubber band could do something similar..hehe.
Ok, now hopefully you have a general idea of how Reach for the Moon works, and some of the more technical aspects. Here is some additional information on actually doing them.
The throw is very important with this trick, even more so than for a lot of others. First you want to throw the yo-yo fairly high. Not straight up, but not straight forwards either. A 45 degree angle up would probably work well or slightly higher. As mentioned before, you don't want a tilt on the yo-yo itself, so throw it as straight as you can.
Now, as the yo-yo comes back from your throw, it will swing several inches below your hand. One thing you really want to learn is how to do your throw in such a way that when the yo-yo comes back, if you don't move your hand, the yo-yo just won't come back and hit it.
It is like you're trying to throw with not quite enough power for that height. The aim is to have the yo-yo come back under your hand without having to raise your hand up very much. I think my biggest advice is just to use a soft touch. This trick does not need a lot of strength.
Lastly, where to put your hand? All of this happens over yours head, so usually I find it is good to have your hand slightly above the top of your head, and a bit in front of you. You want to both be able to easily see your hand, and also not have the yo-yo hit you in face, so have it high but not too too high.
As with everything having to do with this trick, the throw is something you have to feel out.
As with things like inside loops, you don't want to be moving your whole arm more then you have to. After your first throw, the yo-yo needs to go up. So the obvious impulse is to push your hand way up into the air. I've seen people learning this trick who just try to fling their arm up as the yo-yo comes back. This isn't the direction you want to go. Especially with this trick, less is more.
During the upswing, I barely move anything at all. But it is very important that things are straight. As the yo-yo swings under your hand, make sure the groove is aligned with the slipknot on your finger. Remember that the position of the slipknot is the only thing that the yo-yo really cares about.
If it goes under correctly, then it should begin to unwind again and go up in the air. Then it should totally unwind and begin to wind again. Now comes the second wrist motion.
Again you want it to swing several inches below your hand. Again you want the groove aligned with the slipknot on your finger. And again you don't want to be moving your hand around a lot. However, this is generally where I put the power back into the yo-yo. Just a flick of the fingers, somewhat similar to the motion in sending a loop back out, but not as powerfull and being carefully to be straight. Also the yo-yo does not get as close to your hand as it does in a loop.
So the yo-yo gets sent back out like a forward pass, and can either be caught or start all over again.
Timing is of course very important. Probably the most important thing I could say here is try to be relaxed and don't rush it. This trick tends to move much slower than something like loops. But do try to concentrate on a steady rhythm.
If you do a wrist motion try to time it so it happens before the yo-yo winds up entirely. The timing that happens during the throw is similar to what happens when you throw it back out, and when you do the trick continuously.
It might not be as safe as rock the baby, but I don't think this is that dangerous a trick. You have to be carefull, but don't let fear stop you from at least trying this trick. One thing to keep in mind is that there isn't (shouldn't) be a lot of force involved. With something like inside loops, it can be going at a good clip and I've hit myself in the chest pretty hard, have had close calls with my fact etc.
But with Reach for the Moon, the main danger is gravity. Basically the yo-yo falling out of the air onto you. Not a nice thought but not THAT bad either. But since it is usually just gravity pulling it down, you usually have enough time to move out of the way. Just be ready to swing your head out of the way, or put up your other hand.
Also, this is a good reason to use a fixed axle yo-yo when you're starting out. Less likely to stall in mid-air means less likely to hit yourself.
Lastly, it may be a good idea to have the trick be slightly to the side of your head. Over your shoulder instead of right in front of your face. This is a matter of personal preference so you can do it either way. Just use what seems to work well.
Confusion on names always creeps into tricks, and only seems to get worse over time. This trick with the Moon reference is one of the few cosmic references that is still in wide use (along with it's brother Planet Hop).
I just wanted to mention something specific. Reach for the Moon generally always means doing the trick one-handed. That is one reason why I usually use that name.
Shoot the Moon on the other hand can mean three things. It can mean doing it one-handed. It can mean doing it with one hand and inside loops with the other. It can also mean doing it in both hands at the same time. So, if someone says Shoot the Moon, don't automatically assume that it is one of those 3 tricks.
I try to be explicit about the 3 configurations like Reach for the Moon, Reach for the Moon / Loops, and Double Reach for the Moons. Use whatever works or what is common in your area, but just keep in mind that not everyone uses the same terms, so be as explicit as possible when you are in doubt.
Of course I cannot forget to mention that this trick is also frequently called Black Eye, for obvious reasons. But don't let that intimidate you. See the above topic on Danger.
There are two things that can vibrate during this trick, and they are both usually warnings.
First the yo-yo. As you might have guessed, if the yo-yo suddenly starts vibrating something has likely gone wrong. The biggest culprit is usually that your wrist motion was not straight enough compared to the yo-yo. If it starts to vibrate, check that the yo-yo has not tilted slightly. If it has tilted, then you'll either want to catch the yo-yo or correct the tilt, or else it'll probably go out of control fairly quickly.
Another thing that could make it vibrate is that you let the yo-yo get too close to your hand as it went under. Try to keep an eye on that. It might be that it is ok, but a vibrating yo-yo tends to be both harder to see and control, so you want to avoid it as much as you can.
The other thing that can vibrate is the string on the upswing. It is going to do it to some degree no matter what, but you want to minimize it. Generally what it means is that the string is not staying taut as it is unwinding. So then you usually want a little bit more power during the upswing to get it up all the way. Otherwise it might stall at the top.
It might also mean that you are raising your hand too much during the upswing. Keeping your hand down should keep the string more taut as the yo-yo rises.
Lastly a vibrating yo-yo can make the string vibrate, so it could be some of the above things having to do with the yo-yo vibrating.
So, this sort of thing is more of an annoyance, but it can point to various troubles. If things seem to be working well and there is still a lot of vibrating, then it might just take some time to work it out. Like all of the building block type tricks, it takes a lot of practice to get it really well.
A common problem is that during the upswing, instead of going fairly straight up, it goes way forwards more like a reverse loop.
I think this is usually caused by raising your hand too much during the upswing. Try to relax and let it go under more by itself.
It could also be caused by a yo-yo with too wide a gap, or too thin or short of a string.
Being smooth is really important. It is one of those things that tends to come about over time, but try to look for it and work for it. If it feels like the yo-yo is really jerking somewheres, or you feel like you're chopping at the yo-yo, then something probably isn't quite right.
You'll know when you really get the hang of this trick, because it'll move very smoothly and without a ton of effort.
One problem with this trick is that it involves having your hand up above your head for extended periods of time. For some people this might not be a problem, but for others it can be more difficult.
My advice is just to take it slow. If your arm really starts to get tired or hurt, just stop for a while and let it rest. You're probably not going to get in any good practice anyways if it is that tired. After a while, you should be able to get more stamina for keeping it up for longer periods of time. But don't rush it. Take frequent breaks and switch to some other trick if you've been doing it too long.
Here is another common problem. How do you do the trick when you have a low ceiling and it is too cold to yo-yo outside? I find what works best for me is sitting in a chair or on the couch and doing it from there. It is a similar position as standing and tends to work very well.
It might seem obvious, but then again, you get so used to doing tricks standing up that it might seem odd to do it sitting. Generally you're far enough from the ground to do lariats too, which helps a lot.
An interesting thing to try once you get good at this trick is to do it lying down. It might seem a lot harder at first, but it is more of a matter of perspective. The trick itself really isn't any harder if you do it standing up or lying down, but you are seeing it from a different angle.
It is something interesting to try, and there is the added bonus of being able to rest your head on the floor instead of having it at a difficult angle. Besides the floor you could also try it lying on a couch or even in bed... ;)