not being a percussionists, but much of the rudiments are substituted all in the name of the way today's drills are written...with percussion "running" all over the place.
Correct me if im wrong, but if the drill demands have gotten much more greater since the past, shouldnt the technique get even more tight and more solid instead of letting go of the stick and useing rebound because (seriously!) your sprinting across the field with a drum on and changing directions rapidly... Why would you wanna let go of the stick when your moving like that? back then snarelines bearly even moved... so they could have let go of the stick alittle more like today... but its almost like as if its reversed!