Hi All,
I'm 62. Playing long 4 hour gigs can take a toll on my hands these days. I play traditional grip... unless it's a really long gig. To give my left hand a break I will switch my grip from traditional to matched (and back again when I want to) with a quick flip of the stick. It comes in handy. I get to use different muscle groups to manipulate the stick and when I flip back to trad grip, my hand actually feels a bit rested!
The move is accomplished using a cool little 'quick flip' that pops the stick into the new position. To go back to trad grip, simply reverse the sequence of moves. It should be executed smoothly, using the weight and the momentum of the moving stick to snap it back and forth from one grip to the other. Trust me, one day it'll come in handy. Take the time to learn it if you're a trad grip player like me. It can provide some much needed relief when your hand is starting to get tired. You'll be able go longer with less 'effort.'
I made a little pictorial tutorial on how to execute the move. There are 6 illustrations, so I have to spread them over two posts. See post below for the second half of the sequence.
Enjoy, hope some guys find this helpful. Just one more little trick to put into your bag that you can pull out if you ever need it.
John
PS - photo 2 is an error. When I snapped the shot, I put the stick between the wrong fingers! It should be between the second and third/ring fingers. Not forefinger and second finger. Sorry.
