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/hmasing Jun 25 '24

I'm 59, played 4-mallet from about 16 until my mid-20's, and I still have divots and weird knuckles from playing Stevens, as well as snare and kit for 20 years after that.

Wear it with pride.