HELP!!! I keep hurting myself (wrist) everytime I play!

[SonorDeliteful]

I play matched grip usually and lately everytime I play awhile, something in my left wrist kinda pops out of place. It's like a sharp sudden pain and I feel a tugging in my wrist. That's the best way I can explain it. It goes away really quickly but as soon as I play again it will happen again and I have to just stop. It's really bothering me and I can't quite figure it out. It doesn't hurt after I play either. No soarness. I wonder if its because of bad technique? Thats all I can think of. Any comments would be great. Thanks

[MaltBuddow3]

Take your time warming up. I sit for about ten minutes just wiggling my fingers and rolling my wrists before I even pick up the sticks. Do some rudiments nice and slow. There's also a thing in the January Modern Drummer about wrist alignment, and a short excercise to get it in shape. Good Luck!

[peter]

You'll have to describe exactly what
you're doing, if we're going to talk
about this.

You say you're matched.

1. Are you gripping the stick French
(palm side) or German (palm down)
style?

2. Is this with only rim shots or with
every stroke?

3. How high is the stick coming off
the drum for each stroke.

4. Which finger is used for the fulcrum?

5. Are you left-handed or right-handed?

6. Is your left-hand mirroring your right?

7. What is the angle of your upper-arm
to your forearm?

Let's start with these questions?

[SonorDeliteful]

1. German (palm down) i think? my palms are pretty much face down. Although I see a lot of people playing with their hands kind of angled, with the top of their hands to the side. I'm trying to play like that more to avoid this problem.

2. Actually it only occurs when I play my rack toms. When I reach over and hit the toms, its right when I hit the toms. It feels like a tug right below my thumb and at the lower left of my wrist, almost in my higher forearm. I wonder if I'm abosorbing the vibrations in a negative way...

3. The stick is coming off the head almost all the way back as my wrist allows.

4. I use my index finger and thumb for the fulcrum.

5.right-handed

6. I try to keep them mirrored for the most part.

7. I usually play with a 90 degree angle on the snare, but when I hit the toms my arm bends to probably about a 45 degree angle.

[Brobjer]

I that the EXACT same problem! A little thing popped up right below my thumb on the wrist. I felt the pain everytime I played and had toquit playing for a few moths and it was gone.

I'm sorry, but the doctors said that the only thing I could do was either operate it or try sto not play in a few months.

Brobjer

[STAVROPOULOS]

HEY SONORDELITFUL!
i would propose warming up a lot before you play,like matt said or i would say that you could not use your hand for a week and then start slowly again to see what's going on.oh,and try the new Zildjian sticks that absorb vibration up to 50%!and TRY NOT TO THINK NEGATIVE THINGS GOING ON YOU MAN!the psychological part plays a big role!
see you guys!

[peter]

Interesting.

When you extend your arm, the tendon is stretched
in a different way. Check the angle of your toms. Go
for comfort and access.

How long have you been index-finger fulcruming? I
wonder if you have thought about using the middle-
finger and even the ring-finger for help.

Remember that your left-hand is developing and it
will experience some somatic disorder from time to
time. Let's loosen up a bit before you sit down. See
about these things that the other guys have sug-
gested too.

[Xen-]

Throw a tennis ball on the floor. You should use the exact same motion when you play, as it is the hand's natural way to move.

[montaukproject]

I tired playing again today using some of your suggestions and I didn't hurt myself! I didn't play as long as I normally do before it starts happening but I will keep going at it. I did some wrist stretches before I warmed up on a practice pad for a good while. Then I did some more wrist stretches and started out slowly on the kit. I noticed I might have been playing with too much tension in my wrists. I tried playing with a lighter touch. I was able to keep my speed and fly around with singles on the toms without a hitch. I just hope I'm able to do this everytime for a good while. Any other suggestions would be great. Thanks guys once again.

[peter]

You're reading a person, who lost the
use of his right-arm at one time.

I forgot to mention something.

Tell me about your posture on the kit,
especially if your shoulders are curled
or you're hunched over the kit.

[quitou]

Maybe youar gripping the sticks a bit too tight....do you think....if so, try loosening up the grip a little bit, and being very relaxed with your hands and your wrists.....also, what everyone has been saying with regards to warming up is true.....if you don't warm up, I suggest you try.....take 15-20 min to gradually warm up your body before you really start banging away hard....

[MaltBuddow3]

yup... the psychological part is huge... believe the placebo! It works!

[alencore]

If not yet mentioned I suggest you do some stretching before warming up or playing. Then still do some simple wrist stretching during sets.
Also go to a therapist if the pain didn't go.

[Adam]

That's why I can't stand that index finger fulcrum thing. It forces you to squeeze the stick to keed it in your hand. sonordeliteful, I suggest you do some research on what's called the Moeller (sp?) method. I suggest switching to the middle finger fulcrum...but I hate it when people tell ME what to do so I'll leave it at that :) hehe

[peter]

I prefer middle-finger fulcrum, with help from ring.

[MaltBuddow3]

I tried the middle finger when I got the Natural Evolution videos. I still use the index finger though, and I can still use the Moeller technique with that grip. I also think the pinky is forgotten a lot. I use it a good bit, especially with triple stroke rolls or when I want extreme control. I really focus on keeping my fingers relaxed when I'm playing intense stuff, and as long as I do that the index finger fulcrum doesnt present a problem. The middle finger is a very naturally relaxed grip though, so to go along with Peter and Adam I think you should look into it. Good luck!