Also, be very cautious of canes that have been soaked in water as this increases their weight and flesh pulping power. A moistening of the cane improves its flexibility, which is good.
One factor that should not be ignored is how tightly you bend over. The tighter the bend the thinner the pad of flesh available to absorb the impact. A stroke that might rate “moderate” when the hands are on the knees becomes markedly more severe when the hands reach the toes.