robyn- I 'might' have a solution for you. There is an outfit called, Hornets that makes a contoured drum stick that is intended to prevent the sticks from flying out of your hands.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXKd8AI2Sv4[/ame]

I have a set of these I purchased about a year ago. I'm a traditional guy and it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks so I'm not real crazy about them. As a result, they're just sitting in my stick bucket. However, I think they may be just what the doctor ordered for you!

I would gift them to you, but I paid $17. + shipping when I got them. If you want them, I'll take $10. for the pair - shipped. I just can't afford to give them away and this seems like a fair deal. PM me and let me know if you're interested. I really think the shape of the shaft on these sticks will help you to keep a better grip on them when you're playing.

John

get a job using a nail gun

thanks for the offer John, will be getting ahold of you soon.

believe it or not but i do have a job using a nail gun, actualy use a cup'l different sizes and types. so how would this help with holding on to my stick?

It won't. Nothing to do with stick-holding. Prolly the dumbest thing I heard in this thread. I have a nail gun, a grease gun, a staple gun, a caulking gun and a 9mm handgun. None of these have anything to do with drumming. Just a plain silly comment, by a silly roofer who plays Pearl drums.

Practice, practice, practice. YOU play for fun. The more you play, the more fun (and compitent) YOU become.

B

I find the brand of the sticks makes a tremendous difference in whether or not I can perform consistently and with confidence, and in particular the quality of the lacquer applied to the exterior of the sticks being of prime importance. There IS a significant difference in the quality of lacquers applied (or in some cases NOT applied) from brand to brand. Along with that consideration I factor in WEIGHT, BALANCE, LENGTH and STRAIGHTNESS of the sticks, as matched pairs and as individual sticks. Bead size and shapes as well as shoulder tapering and butt ends are also a consideration. There are no two individual drummers exactly alike. Your bone structure, length of arms and fingers, whether you are right or left handed, the kind(s) of music you are playing, all demand you search for a brand and sizing of sticks which suit you as if they are made for just you alone. I won't publicly state here in this response which brand of sticks I have used exclusively for almost 50 years, but if you want to know then private message me and I'll tell you. I quite honestly don't even consider most other brands to be real sticks - they're that much a part of my personal equipment in importance. Yes, I've played with virtually every make and model of sticks over the years - when sitting in on others' kits, or when purchasing vintage drums and acquiring batches of used sticks with them, etc... and I do like to try them out banging around on pads and drums so that my muscles and tendons can get used to the "feel" of different weights and sizes and so "be ready for anything" whenever I must perform or jam on others' equipment using others' sticks and setups. But when it comes down to the real deal it's one brand of stick that I'm willing to pay for and perform with, and I never in my life would ever even consider using gloves, tape, "spin rings" or any other such accoutrements of the drumstick marketing world. We all drop a stick on occasion, but if it's a consistent problem I recommend you begin searching for the right sticks for YOU. Last but definitely not least: ALWAYS PLAY WITH YOUR ENTIRE BODY COMPLETELY RELAXED, CENTERED, AND BALANCED.