hand technique , pictures please

[bfdrum86]

SO i have been working on improving my hand technique for a long time i have seen a few teachers about it to try to get comfortable but the teachers have conflicting views about how i should grip sticks and such , and i want to see some input from other drummers on here.
IF you can , please post pics of how you hold your sticks ..i would really like if someone could show me some matched grip pics and explain where they grip to achieve the perfect folcrum , and anything else you can tell me about your grip.

thanks,
bobby

[fourstringdrums]

Each drummer is going to hold the stick in a different spot depending on where the natural fulcrum of the stick they're using is, and where they physically are able to get the most rebound from the stick.

The best way to to test where you should hold the stick is to hold one stick over the drum or pad, making sure it's paralell to the drum (if you have to hold your stick at an angle to achieve this, flatten out your snare a bit). Then with your other hand, hit the drumstick as if you were dribbling a ball. The place you want to hold the stick is where the stick rebounds the most. Too far back and it may not rebound at all or it will feel off balance, the same with holding it too far forward as well. Once you find this spot, memorize it or mark it.

Your thumb should ALWAYS be on the stick, and when I hold it, the stick usually rests in my second knuckle joint and I make sure (or try to) that my thumb is right over that joint. Imagine a pin running through your thumb nail into that joint to create the fulcrum. I may hold it in the first knuckle joint or sometimes as far back as I can, depending on what feel I'm going for and what control I need but 97% of the time, this is where I hold the stick. I also use what they call German grip, where my palm isn't facing down (American Grip) and my thumb isn't facing up with my palm facing out completely (French Grip). I hold it somewhere in between. Basically when I do that, I can see my index and middle knuckles and barely my ring knuckle.

Hope that helps!

[DrumsAreMyLife]

I would check out:

http://www.freedrumlessons.com/drum-lessons/holding-the-drumsticks.php

That's a pretty complete vidoe.