ok so heres the deal i used to have a decent pair of hands back during marching season but i took some months off and now im trying to get back into even though my hands are way worse than they were before lol So ive been practicing pretty hardcore, mainly for chops and control for about the past month and i dont feel like im getting any better...its like im at some plateau even though ive used to be way better in the past. also i always go through the basic 8's, tap accent and double beat to start off... any ideas why im nothings changing?

Well first off, i'll give you a warning. I don't know just how much practicing "hardcore" means, but overdoing it can be worse than not doing at all. I'm not talking about your chops, I'm talking about the health of your hands. Make sure you don't overdo it.

Any way now on to other things
As for why things aren't changing, i have no idea. However there are some simple things you can do to help your playing drastically. (or at least in my experience.)

- A good warmup program is essential. You mentioned that you play basics to start off, this is good so don't change that. However, the difference between the warmup you have now and the warmup you played in the drumline back during marching season is the level of focus. Make sure you have as much if not more focus now than you did back during marching season.

- Keep your level of focus throughout the practice session.
- Put a lot of emphasis on basics. I'm not saying that this has to be your whole session, but a solid foundation of fundamentals is essential. ( You have to walk before you can run)
- Take breaks from time to time. Not every five minutes, but if you go too long without a break, you lose focus.
- "If you aint havin fun, you're doin it wrong!" (scojo)
- Learn and keep your rudiments up
hope this helps

Yea everything you said makes sense. My level of focus isnt quite is high but what do you mean by not "overdoing" it? because the guys in drum corps play all day for 2 months and they seem to be fine im just wondering though. Also another reason why i seem to suck right now is because i think i may have have for finger chops than wrist chops which can also be bad right? i dont know. please keep posting though any advice is greatly appreciated!!!

My greatest piece of advice to you is the following...

Properly stretch your hand after warming up with 8's, Doubles, and Triples. What I would do is hold my arm straight out, and bend my wrist 90 degrees down and push the back of the hand towards my body with my other hand for 30 sec, then 90 degrees up on both hands. This stretches the forearm muscles that are used in rudimental drumming (unless you wave your arms all willy nilly).

Stretching the muscles keeps them loose, and I have actually found that if you stretch often during your practice session, then it will help A LOT. At least it did for me.

One quick note when stretching. When you bend your wrist up, pull towards your body at the BASE of your fingers i.e. the upper part of your palm.