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- Jan 30, 2021
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If you're right handed, you likely lack "proprioception" in your L hand and arm. Quick example: If you lack proprioception in your legs, you may have difficulty standing and "holding your balance" on one leg (no hands. If you're using your hands to balance, you're using the proprioception in your hand and arm, bcs you don't have adequate proprioception in that leg to balance). Why do you have more proprioception in your right hand and arm (if you're right handed)? I'll shorten a very long list of things you do primarily with your right hand: every time you use a spoon, a knife, a toothbrush, a screwdriver, pliers, a hammer, a bat, buttons on your shirt, the list goes on......do you see? it's also a list of "things you never do with your L hand". For the heck of it, screw in a slotted screw using only your left. pound in a nail with hammer in left. Eat a bowl of soup with the spoon in your left hand! But, if you start to eat soup with a spoon in your left hand all or most of the time, you could develop the ability to comfortably and reliably eat with the spoon in your left. THERE'S THE WAY TO DEVELOP THE PROPRIO IN YOUR LEFT HAND: PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. I've applied what I learned as a physical therapist, here, to the act of better L hand performance, and it's working for me. Developing my sense and control of the bounce in L hand, and proper control of the L stroke with my L thumb, took hours and hours. I would often drill a simple L hand technique, sitting and playing on the floor, for an entire hour show, then another drill for another hour. I worked hard developing 3 and 4 stroke rolls. Good, that was all regarding importance of hand training. Here's another important aspect of developing better performance in your L hands: "Proximal stability for distal agility". "Proximal" means "close end", "distal" means "far end". Here, the phrase means if you need better agility with your hands, you need better stability in your shoulders and core. Your L shoulder doesn't have to stabilize L arm often, because you don't brush your teeth with your L , you don't pound in nails with your L hand, etc, etc, etc. I have not been in a gym in 40+ yrs. I do chin ups on a bar i my garage ceiling, I do 5 to 15 "judo push ups", and 4 or 5 2min planks. If you don't know boxing or MMA, you can't hurt me with a gut punch. MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT OFFERS MY BACK SIGNIFICANT PROTECTION WHILE LIFTING, ECT. Correct posture is important while you're sitting, standing, playing, lifting. When you lift, try to keep your spine vertical. In other words, don't bend at the waist, bend your knees and lift with your legs. If you can't, because of knee pain, don't bend at the waist and lift with your back, GET HELP. If you injure your back, you may never drum again. Break your loads into more, smaller loads, so you don't lift as much. Thank you, much love
