The heel-up technique allows you to control the beat with your thigh. Work slowly at first to master the motion involved in this technique. Press down using your thigh muscles to engage the heel of your foot and depress the foot pedal. When practicing this technique, keep your leg relaxed so the majority of the force comes from your thigh muscles.
The heel-down technique requires less strength, but puts more strain on your ankle. With the heel-down technique, the heel of your foot stays firmly planted on the ground. Control the foot pedal by pivoting your ankle so that the toes of your foot come straight up to a 45 degree angle. Using the strength of your ankle, depress the foot pedal to ensure a smooth and controlled articulation. Practice each foot individually to develop strength and then practice playing quarter notes using both pedals simultaneously to increase coordination.
Play doubles using a heel-up technique. Doubles are faster articulations that result in a steady technique where the notes are played quickly. To accomplish this, use the "slide-technique" in which the initial articulation is created by pressing down with the middle arch of the foot. As you press down, slide your toes up to the top of the pedal. When the pedal rebounds after the initial strike, depress your toes into the pedal to create a second articulation, then slide back down to the initial position.
Improving your double-bass drumming requires extensive use of a metronome. As a bass drummer, you must have exceptional timing. To improve your timing, always practice with a metronome. When you first begin learning to play bass drum, start with quarter notes and concentrate on getting the timing between both drums exact. Practice slow tempos at about 40 beats-per-minute and faster tempos up to 144 beats-per-minute. This improves your coordination and technical skill. Playing slowly is more difficult than playing fast since you have to carefully gauge the time to avoid coming in early.