My first saxophone was a soprano. I also play tenor and have installed Forza’s on all my ten of my horns. The great benefit to me of the Forza is that the designer, Ton Kooiman, is the only engineer who correctly identified the ergonomic problem and solved it. Namely, before the Forza, I was using the common thumb hook which tends to force the thumb to be bent abnormally backward into what I call the ‘hitchhiker’ position. This is okay for very short periods, but any serious player who wants to spend time with his horn may find as I did that when the thumb is in the hitchhiker position and repeatedly stressed isometric ally with the tensioning and release and then re-tensioning of the tendon repeatedly as your hand works the other fingers, one will likely develop tendonitis. Similar to carpal tunnel of the wrist, the tendonitis in the thumb was very painful. A neckstrap used in conjunction with a Forza totally solved the problem for me. Everyone is different and some people don’t encounter the problem. Those that do, and that includes me, will find the Forza a godsend.
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