Pad Sticks

MrInsanePolack

MrInsanePolack

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I ran out of sticks for my kit, so I took the ones from my pad to use. My normal sticks are VF HD4. Since I stole my pad sticks for the kit, I replaced them with some Vater 5A Color Wrap sticks I was gifted but never use. They are slightly bigger and heavier, but the length and fulcrum are close to the same. I'm gonna play with those for a while and see if the added weight helps with speed at all. Anyhow, I've been using the same pad sticks for at least a year, and it got me thinking.

How old are your pad sticks? Do you have a special pair? Are your pad sticks 20 years old and discontinued? Do you do pad work with a different stick than you play with? Or do you just grab the same sticks you use for your kit?
 
Yeah same as I use for the kit. I’m familiar with the reasons why some use different (usually heavier) sticks for the pad but for me I don’t want to deal with the adjustment issues of much heavier or lighter sticks depending on the surface I’m playing on.
 
Hewitt2 said:
Yeah same as I use for the kit. I’m familiar with the reasons why some use different (usually heavier) sticks for the pad but for me I don’t want to deal with the adjustment issues of much heavier or lighter sticks depending on the surface I’m playing on.
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Right now the slightly bigger stick does feel weird. Its heavier, and there is more of it in my hand. It feels a bit harder to manipulate. It might start to feel better over time. Gonna have to wait and see.
 
I normally play Pro Mark 7a in Jap Oak.
I do have a pair of Vic Firth Weckl’s dark red sticks still use and Joey Jordison Ahead sticks, no longer use don’t want print to fade, I’ve had for about 10 years or so.
No rhyme or reason, maybe preferential, just don’t use on my kit but I bust those out with my practice pads.
 
I used to go the heavier route for pad work (a 2B or larger), but I gave that up some time ago. Now it's the AHEAD 5B Light Rock for everything. The older I get, the more inclined I am to simplify.
 
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MrInsanePolack said:
Right now the slightly bigger stick does feel weird. Its heavier, and there is more of it in my hand. It feels a bit harder to manipulate. It might start to feel better over time. Gonna have to wait and see.
Click to expand...

I imagine if you’re working on things like full rebound strokes its easier with a heavier stick. But then you’re going to need to make some micro adjustments when going back to your normal stick. There might be benefits to that but I’m too damn lazy to deal with it ?
 
Kit sticks: Promark 5A active grip
Pad sticks: Promark 5B active grip

But I want a soft, minimal bounce pad. I don’t wanna cheat. If I could, I’d practice on my 16” floor tom. Fast, forte doubles are difficult on it.
 
Ever since I started taking lessons at the age of 13, my drum teacher told me to use heavier sticks as practice sticks. So I’ve been using 5Bs on the pad and 5As on the kit. When I’m not a lazy s**t and I use the 5Bs on the pad I notice how much easier it is to play with the 5As. I highly recommend this approach.
 
As far as I can remember, I've always used marching sticks on a practice pad, probably because I used to march snares (and tenors). But on a kit, I'm a 5A guy, because I can't stand the feel of heavy sticks on a kit. Likewise, I also can't stand the feel of lighter sticks on a pad—just nowhere near enough rebound.

For the past 10 years or so, my pad sticks have been Vater Marching MV-2s. But I also have a pair of Thomas Lang signature sticks for the pad, which I sometimes use. They're nearly as big as a marching stick, almost like an indoor marching stick, so sometimes I'll use those just to change things up.
 
In my earlier days I used a heavier pair of sticks for both pad and kit practice then used the next step down for live. That was until I switched to 7a's, then I stuck with them across the board. That's been a decade or more now.
 
Man oh man you ask a lot of questions. I don't know where to begin MrInsanePolack. Guess I'll just make it simple. I use the same type sticks Vater Goodwood 5A nylons on everything. Even the cat! Don't see any reason to use different brand or size.
 
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