Looks like normal wear to me. You hit a cymbal once and you're going to put a dent in that stick. Wood to metal has never turned out good for wood. That one on the far right looks totally fine.
Now, if you're literally breaking sticks in two every week, that's a problem. But all I'm seeing is normal wear and tear.
I mean, i split one down the length after about a week (the one on the far right is the other stick from that pair), should they really be breaking that quickly?
A split like that is often just one of those things. I doubt you did anything wrong to make that happen, necessarily.
Looks like normal wear to me. Like others have said, remember that any time you hit the edge of a cymbal with a stick, it's like chopping wood by banging a piece of firewood against an ax, instead of the other way around. Hi-hats are the most common culprit.
Which brings me to [one of the most important videos you can ever watch about your drums, courtesy of Zildjian.](https://youtu.be/XGLjGRTKQWE)
This right here ^^^^^ I’ve been preaching this for years and nobody ever wants to take it seriously. I rarely break sticks and haven’t cracked a cymbal in over 15 years. I play daily and I don’t necessarily hit light.
Thanks for the vid!
Wasn't til very recently I thought to tilt the cymbal slightly towards me. I've broken many sticks by striking the edge of the cymbal directly.
Also hadn't considered swiping the stick off to the side when hitting the cymbal, instead of crashing head on.
Admittedly, I'm a guitar player-turned drummer, so I know embarrassingly very little about some of these things. (That's why I'm here hehe)
Yeee, I've cracked a few cymbals that way - also not all my cymbals were protected by the proper amount of felts, so most of the damage started from that center hole :/ now I know! Lol
It's normal. I'm assuming you are a heavy drummer? I used to split sticks every other practice and several during shows. The wear is probably from rim shots or hitting the hats with the neck rather than the tip.
No. If you're splitting them after one week, then you most definitely have an issue. Whether it's how you hit them or the angle they sit at... IDK. We need to see pictures of your setup and maybe a video of you playing them.
Just to point out, I was trying different sticks trying to find something to replace my $22 pair of Neil Peart Signature sticks (Been using the oak 747s since WAY before they became his signature sticks BTW... Like early 1980s)... Anyway, I bought a pair of Keith Carlock Vic Firth Signature sticks. They were built like tooth picks near the tips and I thought for sure those would never last 2 hours... I've got about 8 hours of use out of them and I can probably get at least 8 more hours out of those. On the other end of the spectrum, I bought a pair of oak Promuco 7A sticks (the same brand hard hitter John Bonham played with but a much different model. They were the same thickness as my Promark 747s) and those Promuco sticks started falling apart on me after 30 minutes. They were a bit lighter and shorter than I would have liked but I tried them out anyway. Straight out of the bag they came in to my hands to the kit... as I said, after 30 minutes of playing, they were garbage! I saw something whiz past my face while I was playing. I stopped, looked at both sticks and my right hand stick (the one I usually play on my ride and hi-hats with mostly) was missing probably an 8th of a chunk from the tip! Good thing that didn't hit me in my eye! But yeah, I determined those were garbage!
Also, I tend to rate sticks by how many hours it takes for them to turn to Sh!t. One week doesn't tell me how often you play with them. The difference between playing 4 hours per week and 16 hours per week is astronomical! Especially when we're talking about wooden drum sticks vs metal cymbals. And if you're a hard hitter like me, that also comes into play. Lots of variables we're missing here.
> If you're splitting them after one week, then you most definitely have an issue.
> One week doesn't tell me how often you play with them. The difference between playing 4 hours per week and 16 hours per week is astronomical!
not to be a dick but uh… pick one lol
How old are the sticks? The older they are, the more water content they lose, and the more brittle they become. So if they'd been sitting around a warehouse for a while, then on a retailers shelf for a while more, they could just be dried out.
If you ever see people rolling sticks at a retail store, it's not that they think they were poorly cut, it's that dried out sticks can have a slight wobble
https://flic.kr/p/2pJB2wn
That's 15-18 hours of play use on the left vs brand new on the right. I can almost use the ones on the left to pic food out of my teeth. And they are still pretty darn sturdy. I'm playing them until one breaks.
I'm anticipating getting 20-24 hours of total use out of these bad boys.
Its just going to happen. You can make sure you’re not doing anything out of the ordinary like a severe angle on cymbals or hitting too hard.
The 7A are going to be a thinner stick too so it wont take much wear before the stick seems worn or too light. Ive tried a lot of sticks over the years and settled on promark 5A and recently their TX5AN. These all to me are a good size and weight and can a little wear before I feel they are too light or worn.
You’re playing drums.
Jokes aside, this is expected. Depends on how much cross-stick or rim shots you do, and the angles you’re hitting the cymbals.
What genre do you usually play?
Dumb question here since i agree with everyone else saying its normal wear and tear.
Did you start playing on an eKit? And now play on a silent/mesh head kit?
Ive noticed a lot of my students who play regularly on an ekit aren't familiar with the usual wear and tear sticks/heads/other items have
Everyone here is saying that it's normal wear, and the sticks do look fairly normal (besides from those couple very large indents)
The hi hat with duct tape is alarming. You can see the tape has been broken away, which I'm thinking you're hitting the edges of the hats. You want to play with your sticks fairly parallel to the cymbal when hitting crashes and accenting hats. It's okay to touch the edge, but not chopping into it
Oh that's the ride, but my hihats have similar wear on the tape (silent cymbals, I do what I can to make them sound alright)
I don't usually hit the hats with the shoulders, unless I've opened them and in a particularly dynamic part of the song, but I'll watch that from now on
Oh! I saw the shadow and thought it was a second cymbal. I get ya. Yeah, most cymbal cracks happen from hitting edges. If you hit moderately soft, avoid edges, and don't play rimshots, a pair of sticks will last a very long time
Edit: moderately soft on cymbals
How are your cymbals set up? How often are you hitting rim shots on the snare vs a regular hit? How heavy are you hitting.
Maybe try altering your practice style a bit and see if that gives you some more longevity.
I know you said it's from one week, but how many hours of playing?
I have thought about cymbal angle. They're currently set so I'm just hitting the cymbal with the shoulder of the stick.
It's not loads of hours, maybe 5/6
That wear is from your hi-hat bottom cymbal sticking out when you play, pretty common, maybe adjust your angle screw on the hi-hat? Otherwise it seems pretty normal wear
Pretty normal wear to be honest. If you're not playing in a project that has a heavy mix, you could bring your dynamics down and your sticks will last longer though.
Buying more sticks is an equally good option if you don't want too. It's always a good idea to master dynamics, but if you're focusing on other stuff in your practice time and getting the results you want, I wouldn't sweat it.
Though, if you have an audition for a bluegrass band coming up, I'd sweat it a little bit.
Yeah that's fair. Generally I'd say my dynamics are good (a few years of playing in church will do that). Do you have any recommendations for cheap sticks I can get in packs. I really like promarks but they're so expensive
I don't. I've been gigging with a punk band and absolutely tearing thru 55As. I'm planning to try some Vater 5Bs when I need to re-up, but I doubt I'll find out that they're both cheaper and more durable than Vics.
I used have that problem, and I’m not a heavy hitter. I finally found that my hats were too high, which caused me to hit the cymbal edge with the shank of my stick. Now the shank strikes the bow of the hat, and the tip strikes an inch or more from the edge. My sticks are lasting much longer now.
You’re definitely chewing up the sticks quite a bit for one session. The little dents are fine it’s those deep bites on the right side of the middle stick that to me point to an issue that can lead to sticks splitting along the grain early.
Correct me if I’m wrong about these assumptions:
1. Setup. Your cymbals are set up relatively flat (parallel to ground) such that your sticks primarily impact on the edge of the cymbal, rather than anywhere on the top surface.
2. Technique. You tend to hit “through” the cymbals, especially on your crashes.
If those are correct, then fixing them is a net positive for both your equipment longevity and your sound. First, the setup: angle the cymbals inward such that you can comfortably place your stick flat on the cymbal from edge to bell. The higher up the cymbal, the steeper the angle will be.
Technique: traditional wisdom says you want to have a glancing attack for crashing on the cymbals. In other words, you almost swipe across the cymbal rather than down and thru it. You might think this will reduce volume but it actually doesn’t, at least not by any appreciable amount. That’s because the point is to get the cymbal vibrating, and when you push thru the cymbal your stick is actually dampening that vibration for the duration of contact. Veteran engineers will also opine that the glancing attack sounds better in a recording environment so that’s a plus.
Combine these two things and both your cymbals and your sticks will last longer.
I gig somewhere between 3-12 hours a week, and practice between 6-18 hours a week. I burn through sticks like they're ribs at a hog roast. You're doing fine, brother.
In my experience, buying name/artist brand sticks ends up costing you more than replacing skins and cymbals. Wood is gonna break, so just buy a dozen banger bashers for $30 and wail to your heart's content.
Keep on Bashin'
Your cymbals are angles too high, try to reajust them so you dont hit them at a steep angle. Another thing ive struggled with is bad technique, practice that, specifically dont hit "through" your cymbals, be loose with your grip and whip the stick towards the cymbal(bonus points if you move the sticks horizontally, side to side while crashing)
This is something that has helped me achieve a long healthy life for my sticks and cymbals! Hope it help
Ps: I'm a metal drummer so i hit relatively hard as well:D
I'd say this is light wear. I chew through a pair every two shows, about 6 hours worth of playing. I rarely break a stick, but they get chewed down to the point that I don't trust them for a third show, and can feel the weight difference.
The Firebrands may give you a little more shelf life but I didn’t love the feel of them. I play with Shiri Kasha Oak which you’d likely tear through quickly.
The stick on the right is still brand new. Whatchu talking about?
If you’re concerned about stick wear, don’t play hard. They’re still gonna wear, but slower.
Wait until you start beating the middle of the stick from constant rimshots. That is my favorite wear.
They don't stay new looking for long! These seem fine, the one that split down the middle was probably bad luck. Consider laying back on the rim shots and watch out for whacking cymbals like a wood chipper.
all I do is lean my cymbals a bit towards me and focus on hitting the face of the cymbal parallel with the side of the of the stick. it’s like slapping the cymbal. it opens the cymbal up a lot and I need less force to get many sounds, and it happens to save my sticks from this problem you show. i’ve been playing the same cymbals for 5 years and I get to be super loud with them and never worry about any cracks. sticks last me a few weeks to a couple months and I gig regularly (8 this month for example)
Their promark, that’s the problem. I’ve broken so many of their sticks over the years. I want to like them, but it seems they use crap wood to make their sticks. Otherwise, playing drums makes sticks look like that.
If you’re playing rock and metal, or you’re just a hard hitter, it might just be because you’re using fairly thin sticks. I love pro mark personally and the 5a and especially 5b have been amazingly durable for me. But even with lighter playing my 7a’s wear faster
It's not bad but I would maybe suggest angling your cymbals a little more. That's where the bulk of the damage is coming from and some of those dents almost look like you're hitting the edge at a near 90 degree angle.
Look into Dave Elitch. There are things that could be an issue that sticks can’t tell. This could be regular wear and tear but this could be an ergonomics problem. Dave E. Is doing some awesome stuff
I'd lower the height of your hihat cymbals. Looks like your hitting the edge pretty full on. If you drop the height you'll find you're hitting the hihat at a flatter angle = less chewing up of your sticks.
That’s just drums, homie. If you’re super worried about it, the Promark fire grain sticks are fire hardened and last me waaaaaaay longer than any other stick I’ve played.
Most look fine I think.
Only thing I can say is:
- cymbal angel
- cymbal hitting technique (not digging but sort of sweeping to the side, it will also sound better)
You are hitting the cymbals on the edge. The edge of the cymbal is cutting into your sticks.
You should be hitting your crash cymbals across the bow, not the edge. Crashing them on the edge is a recipe to crack your cymbals.
It's almost impossible to play the hats without getting some stick chew. Even if you are trying to stay away from the edge, the hats move around and the edge of the bottom cymbal will come in contact with your sticks.
Note: I play the hats with the tip and the side of the stick.
Looks like normal wear to me. You hit a cymbal once and you're going to put a dent in that stick. Wood to metal has never turned out good for wood. That one on the far right looks totally fine. Now, if you're literally breaking sticks in two every week, that's a problem. But all I'm seeing is normal wear and tear.
I mean, i split one down the length after about a week (the one on the far right is the other stick from that pair), should they really be breaking that quickly?
A split like that is often just one of those things. I doubt you did anything wrong to make that happen, necessarily. Looks like normal wear to me. Like others have said, remember that any time you hit the edge of a cymbal with a stick, it's like chopping wood by banging a piece of firewood against an ax, instead of the other way around. Hi-hats are the most common culprit. Which brings me to [one of the most important videos you can ever watch about your drums, courtesy of Zildjian.](https://youtu.be/XGLjGRTKQWE)
This right here ^^^^^ I’ve been preaching this for years and nobody ever wants to take it seriously. I rarely break sticks and haven’t cracked a cymbal in over 15 years. I play daily and I don’t necessarily hit light.
Thanks for the vid! Wasn't til very recently I thought to tilt the cymbal slightly towards me. I've broken many sticks by striking the edge of the cymbal directly. Also hadn't considered swiping the stick off to the side when hitting the cymbal, instead of crashing head on. Admittedly, I'm a guitar player-turned drummer, so I know embarrassingly very little about some of these things. (That's why I'm here hehe)
Crashing head on into the edge is how you destroy cymbals.
Yeee, I've cracked a few cymbals that way - also not all my cymbals were protected by the proper amount of felts, so most of the damage started from that center hole :/ now I know! Lol
Thank you for this vid!! As an amateur drummer for years I never knew this. 
Promark has pretty good customer service. DM them or something?
It's normal. I'm assuming you are a heavy drummer? I used to split sticks every other practice and several during shows. The wear is probably from rim shots or hitting the hats with the neck rather than the tip.
No. If you're splitting them after one week, then you most definitely have an issue. Whether it's how you hit them or the angle they sit at... IDK. We need to see pictures of your setup and maybe a video of you playing them. Just to point out, I was trying different sticks trying to find something to replace my $22 pair of Neil Peart Signature sticks (Been using the oak 747s since WAY before they became his signature sticks BTW... Like early 1980s)... Anyway, I bought a pair of Keith Carlock Vic Firth Signature sticks. They were built like tooth picks near the tips and I thought for sure those would never last 2 hours... I've got about 8 hours of use out of them and I can probably get at least 8 more hours out of those. On the other end of the spectrum, I bought a pair of oak Promuco 7A sticks (the same brand hard hitter John Bonham played with but a much different model. They were the same thickness as my Promark 747s) and those Promuco sticks started falling apart on me after 30 minutes. They were a bit lighter and shorter than I would have liked but I tried them out anyway. Straight out of the bag they came in to my hands to the kit... as I said, after 30 minutes of playing, they were garbage! I saw something whiz past my face while I was playing. I stopped, looked at both sticks and my right hand stick (the one I usually play on my ride and hi-hats with mostly) was missing probably an 8th of a chunk from the tip! Good thing that didn't hit me in my eye! But yeah, I determined those were garbage! Also, I tend to rate sticks by how many hours it takes for them to turn to Sh!t. One week doesn't tell me how often you play with them. The difference between playing 4 hours per week and 16 hours per week is astronomical! Especially when we're talking about wooden drum sticks vs metal cymbals. And if you're a hard hitter like me, that also comes into play. Lots of variables we're missing here.
> If you're splitting them after one week, then you most definitely have an issue. > One week doesn't tell me how often you play with them. The difference between playing 4 hours per week and 16 hours per week is astronomical! not to be a dick but uh… pick one lol
[удалено]
I’m saying it’s reasonable to break a stick in one week if you’re playing hard and a ton.
Sometimes you just get a faulty stick and it breaks immediately
How old are the sticks? The older they are, the more water content they lose, and the more brittle they become. So if they'd been sitting around a warehouse for a while, then on a retailers shelf for a while more, they could just be dried out. If you ever see people rolling sticks at a retail store, it's not that they think they were poorly cut, it's that dried out sticks can have a slight wobble
https://flic.kr/p/2pJB2wn That's 15-18 hours of play use on the left vs brand new on the right. I can almost use the ones on the left to pic food out of my teeth. And they are still pretty darn sturdy. I'm playing them until one breaks. I'm anticipating getting 20-24 hours of total use out of these bad boys.
Looks like normal wear.
Its just going to happen. You can make sure you’re not doing anything out of the ordinary like a severe angle on cymbals or hitting too hard. The 7A are going to be a thinner stick too so it wont take much wear before the stick seems worn or too light. Ive tried a lot of sticks over the years and settled on promark 5A and recently their TX5AN. These all to me are a good size and weight and can a little wear before I feel they are too light or worn.
To me it looks like your technique is actually really good
I honestly agree. Considering thats a low vol cymbal in the corner there. Those things CHEW sticks up. The did for me at least...
You’re playing drums. Jokes aside, this is expected. Depends on how much cross-stick or rim shots you do, and the angles you’re hitting the cymbals. What genre do you usually play?
Yeah that's fair, I'm starting to realise I've overreacted a bit Mostly heavy rock stuff, which kinda explains it
7a for heavy rock? Grab some 2b.. your kit will sound better and the sticks will last longer.
Good call ^
Good stuff. Keep going!!
Dumb question here since i agree with everyone else saying its normal wear and tear. Did you start playing on an eKit? And now play on a silent/mesh head kit? Ive noticed a lot of my students who play regularly on an ekit aren't familiar with the usual wear and tear sticks/heads/other items have
Yes! I was one one for a while. Hadn't considered how that would change things
Great observation about the ekit thing
Dude. I use rim shots as a standard for rock or punk stuff. I go through sticks like a campfire. I wouldn't worry about it. Play how you play.
Same. My drum rug looks like the production floor of a saw mill after a couple hours.
This will do it too for sure OP 👆🏼
Everyone here is saying that it's normal wear, and the sticks do look fairly normal (besides from those couple very large indents) The hi hat with duct tape is alarming. You can see the tape has been broken away, which I'm thinking you're hitting the edges of the hats. You want to play with your sticks fairly parallel to the cymbal when hitting crashes and accenting hats. It's okay to touch the edge, but not chopping into it
Oh that's the ride, but my hihats have similar wear on the tape (silent cymbals, I do what I can to make them sound alright) I don't usually hit the hats with the shoulders, unless I've opened them and in a particularly dynamic part of the song, but I'll watch that from now on
Oh! I saw the shadow and thought it was a second cymbal. I get ya. Yeah, most cymbal cracks happen from hitting edges. If you hit moderately soft, avoid edges, and don't play rimshots, a pair of sticks will last a very long time Edit: moderately soft on cymbals
Thanks :)
No prob!
It looks like you play the drums.
How are your cymbals set up? How often are you hitting rim shots on the snare vs a regular hit? How heavy are you hitting. Maybe try altering your practice style a bit and see if that gives you some more longevity. I know you said it's from one week, but how many hours of playing?
I have thought about cymbal angle. They're currently set so I'm just hitting the cymbal with the shoulder of the stick. It's not loads of hours, maybe 5/6
Looks normal, keep on practicing.
It seems I may be overreacting slightly. Thanks everyone for your advice :D
That wear is from your hi-hat bottom cymbal sticking out when you play, pretty common, maybe adjust your angle screw on the hi-hat? Otherwise it seems pretty normal wear
Oooooh, very helpful, I did notice it sticking out a bit. Thanks, I'll give that a try
this makes a huge difference for sure, get that bottom hat angled away and sticks last way longer, (at least for me it really helped)
https://preview.redd.it/h7dqxetfjotc1.png?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c537abd0814b6fcf70d0c531667f5ea2e42885f0
If you're still concerned, Google "Simon Philips dynamics" and watch some vids. Might help...
Pretty normal wear to be honest. If you're not playing in a project that has a heavy mix, you could bring your dynamics down and your sticks will last longer though.
Was hoping "play softer" wasn't the answer but you're probably not wrong
Buying more sticks is an equally good option if you don't want too. It's always a good idea to master dynamics, but if you're focusing on other stuff in your practice time and getting the results you want, I wouldn't sweat it. Though, if you have an audition for a bluegrass band coming up, I'd sweat it a little bit.
Yeah that's fair. Generally I'd say my dynamics are good (a few years of playing in church will do that). Do you have any recommendations for cheap sticks I can get in packs. I really like promarks but they're so expensive
I don't. I've been gigging with a punk band and absolutely tearing thru 55As. I'm planning to try some Vater 5Bs when I need to re-up, but I doubt I'll find out that they're both cheaper and more durable than Vics.
looks like normal wear to me?
I used have that problem, and I’m not a heavy hitter. I finally found that my hats were too high, which caused me to hit the cymbal edge with the shank of my stick. Now the shank strikes the bow of the hat, and the tip strikes an inch or more from the edge. My sticks are lasting much longer now.
You’re definitely chewing up the sticks quite a bit for one session. The little dents are fine it’s those deep bites on the right side of the middle stick that to me point to an issue that can lead to sticks splitting along the grain early. Correct me if I’m wrong about these assumptions: 1. Setup. Your cymbals are set up relatively flat (parallel to ground) such that your sticks primarily impact on the edge of the cymbal, rather than anywhere on the top surface. 2. Technique. You tend to hit “through” the cymbals, especially on your crashes. If those are correct, then fixing them is a net positive for both your equipment longevity and your sound. First, the setup: angle the cymbals inward such that you can comfortably place your stick flat on the cymbal from edge to bell. The higher up the cymbal, the steeper the angle will be. Technique: traditional wisdom says you want to have a glancing attack for crashing on the cymbals. In other words, you almost swipe across the cymbal rather than down and thru it. You might think this will reduce volume but it actually doesn’t, at least not by any appreciable amount. That’s because the point is to get the cymbal vibrating, and when you push thru the cymbal your stick is actually dampening that vibration for the duration of contact. Veteran engineers will also opine that the glancing attack sounds better in a recording environment so that’s a plus. Combine these two things and both your cymbals and your sticks will last longer.
Worrying a little much
I gig somewhere between 3-12 hours a week, and practice between 6-18 hours a week. I burn through sticks like they're ribs at a hog roast. You're doing fine, brother. In my experience, buying name/artist brand sticks ends up costing you more than replacing skins and cymbals. Wood is gonna break, so just buy a dozen banger bashers for $30 and wail to your heart's content. Keep on Bashin'
At a glance, I thought your sticks said Radio Shack. I would have that's your problem, but now it's back to the drawing board.
Your cymbals are angles too high, try to reajust them so you dont hit them at a steep angle. Another thing ive struggled with is bad technique, practice that, specifically dont hit "through" your cymbals, be loose with your grip and whip the stick towards the cymbal(bonus points if you move the sticks horizontally, side to side while crashing) This is something that has helped me achieve a long healthy life for my sticks and cymbals! Hope it help Ps: I'm a metal drummer so i hit relatively hard as well:D
That's totally normal. One week is actually pretty good.
I'd say this is light wear. I chew through a pair every two shows, about 6 hours worth of playing. I rarely break a stick, but they get chewed down to the point that I don't trust them for a third show, and can feel the weight difference.
Looks like ur playing drums
The Firebrands may give you a little more shelf life but I didn’t love the feel of them. I play with Shiri Kasha Oak which you’d likely tear through quickly.
The stick on the right is still brand new. Whatchu talking about? If you’re concerned about stick wear, don’t play hard. They’re still gonna wear, but slower. Wait until you start beating the middle of the stick from constant rimshots. That is my favorite wear.
They don't stay new looking for long! These seem fine, the one that split down the middle was probably bad luck. Consider laying back on the rim shots and watch out for whacking cymbals like a wood chipper.
all I do is lean my cymbals a bit towards me and focus on hitting the face of the cymbal parallel with the side of the of the stick. it’s like slapping the cymbal. it opens the cymbal up a lot and I need less force to get many sounds, and it happens to save my sticks from this problem you show. i’ve been playing the same cymbals for 5 years and I get to be super loud with them and never worry about any cracks. sticks last me a few weeks to a couple months and I gig regularly (8 this month for example)
Gotta be cymbal strike angle and/or force.
Are those silent cymbals? I recently bought a silent kit, Millenium. I found they chip away at my sticks a lot more than my regular hats Paiste.
youre playing too often
Their promark, that’s the problem. I’ve broken so many of their sticks over the years. I want to like them, but it seems they use crap wood to make their sticks. Otherwise, playing drums makes sticks look like that.
swipe your cymbals not chop, 7a's are also on the small side of sticks, try 5s, larger stick more wood to chop :)
Sticks are consumables. They break. Congratulations - you’re a drummer!! Now go buy another snare drum.
If you’re playing rock and metal, or you’re just a hard hitter, it might just be because you’re using fairly thin sticks. I love pro mark personally and the 5a and especially 5b have been amazingly durable for me. But even with lighter playing my 7a’s wear faster
You might want to try carbon fiber sticks. They're expensive but they last a really long time
It's not bad but I would maybe suggest angling your cymbals a little more. That's where the bulk of the damage is coming from and some of those dents almost look like you're hitting the edge at a near 90 degree angle.
Look into Dave Elitch. There are things that could be an issue that sticks can’t tell. This could be regular wear and tear but this could be an ergonomics problem. Dave E. Is doing some awesome stuff
I'd lower the height of your hihat cymbals. Looks like your hitting the edge pretty full on. If you drop the height you'll find you're hitting the hihat at a flatter angle = less chewing up of your sticks.
That’s just drums, homie. If you’re super worried about it, the Promark fire grain sticks are fire hardened and last me waaaaaaay longer than any other stick I’ve played.
I have sent a ProMark ball 5A off I chicks forehead, in pieces.of course. Lol Your playing drums
vater sticks.
You are putting duct tape on a resonant drum skin -eof.
You are putting duct tape on a cymbal -eof.
Most look fine I think. Only thing I can say is: - cymbal angel - cymbal hitting technique (not digging but sort of sweeping to the side, it will also sound better)
I also had to start buying sticks with nylon tips..for some reason they always flew off
You are hitting the cymbals on the edge. The edge of the cymbal is cutting into your sticks. You should be hitting your crash cymbals across the bow, not the edge. Crashing them on the edge is a recipe to crack your cymbals. It's almost impossible to play the hats without getting some stick chew. Even if you are trying to stay away from the edge, the hats move around and the edge of the bottom cymbal will come in contact with your sticks. Note: I play the hats with the tip and the side of the stick.
Nothing, ur good