Affected by stick length?

Bo Eder

Platinum Member
Hey everybody!

Never thought I'd have to ask this question because I've always prided myself on being able to play whatever is given to me, equipment-wise (music-wise is another story...). However, have any of you been affected by the length of the drumstick you use?

On this new gig I'm involved with, the company supplies a ProMark 2S American Hickory drum stick. It's roughly 16 7/8" long. My regular stick I use to practice rudiments (an old pair of ProMark Oak 767 Billy Cobham sticks) are slightly thinner but only measure 15 7/8" long. Just an inch difference. But, I notice the balance point on the longer sticks (in order to get a comfortable rebound) puts my thumb and index finger somewhere near the center of the stick anyway, which really makes about 2" at the rear of the stick useless for what I need. When I let my hand slide towards the back of the stick, that 2S then begins to feel like a hammer and becomes very front heavy. This results in over-tightening the grip and forearms that feel rather "worked out" at the end of the gig.

When I use my regular-length sticks (all of my sticks are about the same length as the Cobhams - Vic Firth 5A, Vater Los Angeles) I don't experience the hammer feel or sore forearms.

You think the sticks are the culprits or am I doing something completely wrong? It'll be a while before I can use my own personal sticks on this gig so right now it's a theoretical exercise. But I plan on picking up a couple more pairs of these ProMark 767's for this gig and being ready for it. I've never experienced the hammer feel - it felt very wrong.

Thoughts?
 
I'm probably not the person you'd most want responding (since I know diddly about technique :) but I had an interesting experience starting up with my loungey band after always playing rock.

At first, feeling the need for all the help I could get, I used the smallest sticks I could find, which were Vic Firth Kidsticks - just 12" long. It took some adjustment. Then, when I decided to go grownup with 7As there was a definite adjustment again.

Size does matter IMO
 
It is definitely the stick change. Played forever with 5A and had to step up to 5B for this Metal band. It was like playing with hammers for weeks. I have tried the longer extreme model in 5A at first but could never get used to the balancing point of a longer stick.
 
It is definitely the stick change. Played forever with 5A and had to step up to 5B for this Metal band. It was like playing with hammers for weeks. I have tried the longer extreme model in 5A at first but could never get used to the balancing point of a longer stick.

I'm beginning to agree (I'm sitting here working out with both my old sticks and new sticks here on a practice in the middle of the night....). This longer stick length SUCKS for me. It's amazing that the difference is only a little over an inch, but jeez, the balance point is all thrown off. True, if I really worked at it, I'd eventually adjust. However, for those of you who know what this gig is, there's alot more I'm having to think about and do in addition to the drumming, so I'd rather not force myself to physically play different. The playing has to be second-nature so I can concentrate on the more important task of entertaining.
 
One of the very few advantages of having almost zero technique is that the balance point becomes close to irrelevant, but stick length is very important to me. I'm so used to the "hammer" affect, I struggle without it. I started my playing on timp's, so I was mallet conditioned for years. That carries through to my crude playing to this day. Until recently, I used VF X5A's ( the extra length 5A's). I now use the even longer Silver Fox 1A's (16 7/8ths), & I'm loving them. I like some momentum swing to my sticks, & I never use rebound of any description. That's what limits my repertoire, but also means I can play what I play on anything from a pillow to a marching snare. How crap am I! Lol.
 
For years (3,4?) I never bought the same pair of sticks twice. I've played eveything from 7A's to 2B's in gauge and 15.5" to 17" in length. What I learned while searching was that I prefered everything about a longer stick (16"+), the balance, reach and power. In girth, I have fluctuated, when I started playing, it was 7A's, then it scaled up to 2B's when I was in college, then right the way back down to 7A's now. I've only found one company who makes long 7A's (DW's 3sticks) so im limited for choice, especially in tip choice.

I have a fulcrum thats quite far back, so there is no need for the extra length, but it just feels right in my hand. The wand does indeed choose the wizard.
 
The wand does indeed choose the wizard.

Nice!

At times the witch has needed different wands, depending on the realm :) In rock bands 5As were a must for me. In chillout music it was the Kidsticks (and I got totally comfortable with them until I got used to grooving quietly). Now Billy Stewart 7As are the only sticks I like. 5As feel too heavy, even with lighter woods, and Kidsticks feel like ... kids' sticks.

But, like many of us, I use brushes happily enough - so why should sticks be a big deal?

I imagine most of us expect ourselves to be capable of adapting our technique, to be tuned in and coordinated no matter what the situation, kit or striking implements. Hey, we drum! We're groovy people, right?? ... like Dave Grohl blasting on a kid's kit or Ari Hoenig shredding on cheese. But, in the end, we'll have more control over nuances when we play with what we're used to and what resonates with us.
 
Last edited:
If you aren't required to use those and you feel it is affecting your technique I would buy somethig you like. Charge it to the Mouse.
 
Agreed!

+ It's a matter of getting used to different sticks. I always keep a pair of 5A's and 2B´s to switch on/off, while I'm a 5B straightforward player!
 
after using those pro mark 7As (which are short i think) for about 2 years, i switched to longer agner-ones. all i can say the length does affect your playing but if you practice just with one sort of stick you most likely will get used to it. after a year of playing with the light agner-sticks i recently switched to erskine's ride stick which is much heavier. the same here, after some days of practicing the weird feeling gets weaker and disappears.
after all i find myself switching back to a stick that i used before and then my technique changes a bit, as if my muscles could remember what they did with that stick. for example i hold the shorter sticks more at the back then the longer ones. often i'll change my set-up a bit according to the stick-length; i used to play more "flat" with the shorter ones. oh and i like matched grip a lot more when the sticks are short
 
I have to have sticks AT LEAST 16' in length. The thickness doesn't matter much as long as it isn't pencil skinny (Zildjian's 7A). I have a problem with my hand's sliding all the way back to the butt of the stick to get more power in shorter sticks messing up my grip. But when longer sticks, I have all the power I need, and plenty of room to grip the stick properly. I've been considering ordering some custom sticks around 18 inches in length just to see if they're too long for my comfort.

So I guess long story short for me, the longer the stick, the better.
 
Last edited:
YES.
I never thought of the length because "everything" is 16" give or take.
I haven't liked longer than 16" though.

A while ago, I started to feel like something was not "right" with any stick after a while of using them. Tried this, then tried this etc...
Couldn't put my finger on it....There was just something.

I really like the balance of double butt sticks, and since I did snare drum for so long as a kid, with lessons and all that (with 2B's), I could control the dynamics easily with them since they were smaller diam than a 5B or 2B anyway.

A few months ago, I started cutting a bit at a time, and I ended up with a 14 7/8 being my perfect length.
The diam is .572

When I chopped these sticks down, it felt like I could do whatever I wanted (was able to pull off), and it was super comfortable right away.
I have cut down my regular tip sticks down also, and those are about 15 7/16. So, it's not just the double butt sticks the cutting down worked for.

I also found that, where it was most comfortable for me to hold the sticks (considering balance, bounce blahblahblah), that buy cutting some off (where it sat in my hand), I really didn't loose me much at all in the length the stick had (past my hand) when it was longer.

The stick then really became and extension of my hand. With this shorter length, it's been very cool.
 
I have to have sticks AT LEAST 16' in length. The thickness doesn't matter much as long as it isn't pencil skinny (Zildjian's 7A). I have a problem with my hand's sliding all the way back to the butt of the stick to get more power in shorter sticks messing up my grip. But when longer sticks, I have all the power I need, and plenty of room to grip the stick properly. I've been considering ordering some custom sticks around 18 inches in length just to see if they're too long for my comfort.

So I guess long story short for me, the longer the stick, the better.


Try the Regal Alex Van Halen stick. It's 17 3/4", and the 3B is the same stick but it's 16 3/4"
The AVH also has no finish if you like that feel.

If you like the stick, but want a finish, the Krylon spray called "Triple Thick Glaze" gives a great feeling, and it's almost exactly the same feel as Regal's regular finish (with 2 thin coats).
Less spray or more, will give different results. It's a very nice spray for sticks.
I've used it for several years on different sticks.
 
Bo why are you being forced to use a stick you don't like? Can't you do a switcheroo? Or ask for a different model stick? Are you being watched that closely?
 
Try the Regal Alex Van Halen stick. It's 17 3/4", and the 3B is the same stick but it's 16 3/4"
The AVH also has no finish if you like that feel.

If you like the stick, but want a finish, the Krylon spray called "Triple Thick Glaze" gives a great feeling, and it's almost exactly the same feel as Regal's regular finish (with 2 thin coats).
Less spray or more, will give different results. It's a very nice spray for sticks.
I've used it for several years on different sticks.

I actually use Vater 5B Power Nudes. They seem to give me the perfect feel.
 
Bo why are you being forced to use a stick you don't like? Can't you do a switcheroo? Or ask for a different model stick? Are you being watched that closely?

No, I'm not being watched that closely. That's just what showed up and we all took a couple of pairs to use. It was my arrogance of "what the heck, I'll use 'em", and then I noticed I was having a tough time with it and went off on this mental-binge of figuring out why.

The part I couldn't get my head around was "I'm having a tough time with this". Just because it's never happened to me before.

I'm heading out to find more of these Billy Cobham sticks for this gig. Or maybe some nice fat and relatively shorter 2B's....or I might try those Ahead 2B sticks. Always wanted a reason to try those....
 
You're going up to a marching stick, of course that is going to affect you.

The entire balance, and weight is drastically changed.

My self, I prefer a longer stick. I use Zildjian Super 5A, which is 16 and 1/2 inches long.
 
Maybe you can pack a hand saw in your bag and cut an inch off those sticks while nobody's watching. lol.

Now seriously.. I have the same issue you're having right now but the other way around. I've always used sticks longer than 16". Some time ago I got myself some 7A's so I could use them for lighter stuff and when I played with them it felt really akward, as they were just a little above 15".

Change is always hard I guess. haha.

Cheers.
 
Back
Top