Good question! I've seen people do all kinds of crazy things trying to address this very issue, including the 2 you mentioned. Dave Weckel has a DVD called "Back to Basics" that has some great stuff on there dealing with this very problem. This is where I learned about the Swiss Triplet, that's what I used to "even out" my playing...and when carried over to the drumset, opened up a whole new world! After working on this for months on a practice pad, I realized that this is what the Purdie Shuffle is built around. Dave also shows some one handed exercises, really good stuff! Steve Smith's DVD (can't remember the title...something & the History of the American Beat) is also great stuff!...Steve is a Master teacher & this DVD has A LOT of great exercises.

Good Luck in your quest!

Dan

You might want to give Tommy Igoe's, 'Great Hands For A Life Time' dvd a look see.

http://www.tommyigoe.com/news.htm

John

When you're away from the pad, use your left for all those goofy little things your right usually does ... Eating, drinking, blowing your nose, (excuse me ahead of time) wiping, lacing the shoes, dressing, buttons, combing the hair, washing the face and body, etc.

Trust me, it will make a difference.

Your left goes along for the ride most of your day. Put it to work.

You know I read this the first time & shrugged it off, but went back & liked the post a lot, removing your brain and just feeling the pulse of a groove with muscle memory is like the ultimate high...every drummers dream...response without thought...being able to play without pretense...just responding to your fellow brothers? WOW!

When I broke my hand years ago, I used one of those spongy gel balls (purchased at drugstore) to help build up strength...Using this for a few minutes at least 3 times a day combined with what Rogersling and VM2K said should definitely help you achieve your goal...

Just my 2 cents...

Cheers

Well, as my dear bud, R/S states, do as he does. He damned near got killed about this time last year, driving to an audition, which he didn't make, and is still in recovery mode, it tore his arm almost off his body. I know he does not like to talk about today, but it is part of the process, Michael.

Kind of like what VM2k said but I used to bounce a kickball with a drum stick in my left hand to develope control. After a while I`d try to hit the ball two, then three times on the way down. It sound easy but ...it`s not and it worked wonders for my inability to control my left hand drumming !!

I actually need to do that some more cuz I let it lax !!

Looks like you already have a lot of information, but I find that it isn't always a problem with a weaker hand. Your "weak" hand will often be doing funny things without you realizing it, including making circles when it rebounds, instead of following a straight up and down path (hopefully that makes sense).

A poorly defined fulcrum point usually adds to this as well. If your fulcrum is loose and sloppy, it is extremely difficult to play fast and clean, and can make it feel like you need more power when you actually just need to control the balance point.

I would suggest practicing in front of a mirror and making sure both sticks travel straight up and down at the same height, angle, etc.

I also have my students trace a quarter in the middle of their drum pad (you could do it on all of your heads too if it doesn't bother you) to teach accuracy. Consistency will improve your sound. I learned that tip directly from David Garibaldi!

First, I think all of the posts above are highly informative and useful, but if you happen to find yourself still struggling with it you could always look into open handed playing. Obviously it isn't as common as crossed style but I switched recently after reading Claus Hessler & Dom Famularo's great book "Open Handed Playing" and watching a few late 60s era Billy Cobham clips online (I've been struggling with a weak left) and I've got to say, it has opened a lot of doors creatively. This all came up after I switched from matched to traditional a few years ago. Needless to say, I prefer traditional grip but I couldn't get my left through the rudiments, even after attempting to strengthen it. Then I started to think about why we as drummers are taught to stray away from what feels natural. I always had this stupid idea that open handed playing was "wrong" or the sign of an unskilled drummer, but after researching it I discovered a growing popularity with drummers from around the world and I now understand why. It feels good, provides more creative options and is also beneficiary to posture, joints and muscle tension. I can get through books a lot easier now and playing is a breeze. But don't get me wrong, I am not saying it is the "better" way to play, the point of this is that there is no "better" or "right" way to play. In my opinion, the best way is what is comfortable to you. Basically, it's an option that you could choose.