Virgil Donati is know for tearing apart any drum kit he sits behind and Vater's Assault encourages him to do so!! The stick is as heavy as it appears, but one can "cut loose" when one has these in their hands. Unlike most drumsticks, the Assault has little or no taper towards the tip. The tip is round barrel in shape and was designed so by Virgil himself to get maximum dynamics from cymbals and drums. Trying these out were an absolute pleasure!