trad grip anomaly

[Mugs]

Greetings all! This is my first post, so bear with me if I get a bit long-winded (a genetic shortcoming of the Irish) My birthday was last week, and as a gift from my kids I received a copy of Jim Chapin's "Speed, Power, Control and Endurance" video. Great! I thought to myself, I've always wanted to REALLY try and get trad grip going, after playing matched for nearly forty years.But here the problem arises. My left wrist in trad grip won't rotate upwards with the stick more than twenty degrees or so. No pain involved,it just...stops.BUT,take my first two fingers off the wood,just holding it with my thumb, and Presto! I can rotate back nearly ninety degrees.Has anyone else had this happen to them? And what did you do about it?Suggestions and advice welcome.
Oh, and BTW...does anyone else find the constant barrage of practice pad triplets in SPC&E a great sleep inducer?

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slan agus beannacht!

[Steve Holmes]

Make sure you read this previous post about traditional grip.
I'm sorry to say i can't comment on the fingers problem because it doesnt occur with me. Does it stop rotating when just one finger is on the stick too?

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[Nikk]

Yeah man, it happens to me.

You're on the right track. Weckl talks about this occurence on "How to Develop Technique." All the great players did this. Check out Tony Williams, Steve Gadd's backbeat, etc...They're all taking their fingers off the stick. Eventually try to develop the hand so that the fingers can stay on and the wrist turns naturally far back. Don't rush it at first. Those fingers become important for control in quieter playing.

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[Derek DeFields]

This is just a matter of the muscles not being used the motion. As they stretch and loosen up with practice you will be able to make a vertical stroke with all fingers on the stick. It might take a year, but likely not more than that.

Try playing 8 to 16 notes per hand, very slowly, concentrating on rotating from the wrist and pulling the stick back as much as possible on the upstroke. This is not what I would consider the "correct" way to actually play, but it's the best way in my experience to get used to the motion and loosen up the muscle.

Most people who play trad can feel what you're feeling when they play "reverse" trad because even though they know "how" to make a proper stroke, the muscles just aren't warmed up/loose enough yet.

Good luck,
Derek



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[Mugs]

Thanks one and all for your input and advice.I'll keep slugging away at the trad approach,getting muscles and tendons stretched....and I'll surely try and get hold of Weckl's video series...(NEXT birthday?)
I should blushingly point out here that I'm HEAVILY envious of those folks who have mastered the traditional grip...nothing looks more graceful.Thanks again.

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slan agus beannacht!