Drum sticks have a wooden shaft and a small, hard tip that comes directly into contact with the skin of a drum. That tip can be a plastic coating, or sometimes it’s the same wood material. It creates a very crisp and sharp attack and is the most common instrument with which drummers play their drum sets.
Drum mallets have a similar wooden shaft, however, the ends are fitted with extremely thick sleeves (1-2″ diameter is common) of felt that is packed at varying densities and tensions to achieve a variety of timbres when striking a drum. They have a much softer attack than a drum stick and tend to conjure a warmer tone.