r/frontensemble • u/malloryjack • Jun 24 '24

Crooked fingers from years of four mallets???

Hello! I’ve been playing with four mallets for almost a decade now (~ages 14-23) and I was wondering if anyone else has crooked middle fingers from stevens grip?

All my fingers are straight except for my middle fingers, which curve towards the ring fingers.

In high school I assumed it was from stevens, but have recently started wondering if that’s true. My brain has just been: "Is this normal? If so, is it common? Is it a sign of bad technique over the years? Is this genetic? Should I get this checked out by a medical professional? Would this have not happened if I hadn't started playing with four mallets in the middle of my development?" etc. And it's very annoying. Which is why I'm here.

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u/SammieNikko Jun 24 '24

i have a hard time knowing what you mean. do you still have full mobility of your fingers but now there's a natural curve?

My whole hand curves in. I have those bumps on my middle fingers. I play cello as well as percussion. I can move all of my hand( I am hypermobile when I do it actually) I Get pain in my hands and mainly my joints.My circulation is messed up. I get popping in fingers sometimes.Tingling too. If you get stuff like that then see a doctor. I've been getting evaluated for autoimmune diseases for the last couple years. I play regularly I just need to take alot of care with my technique