The choice seems endless and the drumstick manufacturers seem to come up with new ones nearly every week. I will try to narrow it down for you. Firstly,which material should they be made of? Wood sticks are basically in a choice of Maple,Hickory,or Oak. Maple would be considered the least strong of the three(unless laminated). Hickory has good strength and energy absorbtion, whilst Oak is generally the strongest but without very good energy absorbtion.

**Energy absorbtion? what's that?

When you hit the drum you want the vibrations caused, to be absorbed into the stick so that your fingers do not ache at the point where you grip. This is a weakness in choosing Oak, in particular.
Some sticks are produced from man-made materials. I have yet to try one that feels as good as wood.

**Nylon tipped/Wood tipped?

Though I personally have a preference for nylon tipped, a lot of pro players prefer wood. Nylon tips tend to give a more defined "click" sound on cymbals and have a consistant density, so making the same sound on the cymbals as the stick revolves slowly in your fingers. The sound from a wood tip can change as the stick revolves because the wood density varies. Nylon tips do sometimes come off, which is rare but very inconvienient if it does happen! They can be glued back on if not permanently lost.

**What size sticks should I use?

Drumsticks usually have a size code on them, ie 7A,5A,5B. Unfortunately the manufacturers are not very consistant in agreeing what a code should represent, so there is room for improvement.
As as a general rule, use the following;
7A... This is lighter and narrower than most sticks. I would recomment them for young drummers, say the under 10's.
5A... The average size and weight. Suitable for most players most of the time.
5B / 2B...Heavier and fatter than average. Too heavy for children, or people with "average to small" sized hands. It's a "heavy rock music" type stick, preferably for drummers with larger hands and good wrist strength. Don't buy these sticks just because you are breaking your present model regularly. Look at possible problems with your techneque first. What are you breaking the sticks on?, the hoops?, edges of cymbals?, that's all bad techneque not the fault of the stick. Consider stronger woods like Oak and improve your playing style without delay!
The drummer who boasts how many sticks he has broken in a single performance is just showing himself up. A good drummer can play long, hard and fast all night with the same pair of sticks....no problem.

**What about the sticks with the rubberised non slip finish?

I have tried these and was disappointed. Firstly, as the rubber was cut through by rimshots the split rubber surface became an irritant to my hand. Secondly, as I sometimes use "traditional grip" with my left hand, I found that the rubber pulled the little hairs on the back of my hand which was quite painful.These sticks are a good idea BUT!

In summary,the average drummer should probably look to a 5A "hickory wood" stick, nylon or wood, tipped. Roll them on the shop counter prior to purchase, to ensure they are not warped.

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