The most common method of holding drumsticks based on my experience (and this is how I do it as well), is holding the two drumsticks like a spoon and a fork, like this :
However, I do occasionally find some drummers using a different method. One example I remember is from the movie Whiplash :
What are the different ways to hold drumsticks and what are the pros and cons of each? Should I invest time to familiarize myself with other stances?
The way you do it is called "matched grip" because the hands are the same, and the other way is called "traditional grip". Traditional has been used for centuries for military drumming:
Notice the way the drums are tilted--this keeps them from being tripped over, but it would be impossible to play with a matched grip due to the angle.
Nowadays some people just prefer this grip. There's no real pros and cons to either, it's just a matter of personal preference and familiarity.
