Kick pedal beater position

I was wandering what the average position of bass beaters are in relation to the bass drum head? In theory if you look at the bass head as a clock the center would be found by drawing a line from 12, 6 and then 3, and 9 o,clock and the center would be were the lines cross. I have placed my beaters there many times and find that the sweet spot for me is about two inches higher then center. Just wandering were DrummerWorld places there beaters?

Mine is about 1 inch above center and read somewhere, and can not find the source, that moving it off center will give a better sound than dead center.

Yeah, I do the same.
I don't like the sound I get dead center.

Yes, I'm 2 inches above center. If I'm centered it seems a bit flappy.

GRUNTERSDAD said:

Mine is about 1 inch above center...

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Ditto...

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Slightly above center as well but I think that's because my wife says my beater is longer than most...

GRUNTERSDAD said:

Mine is about 1 inch above center and read somewhere, and can not find the source, that moving it off center will give a better sound than dead center.

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Mine too.

The source would be Bob Gatzen. One of his Quick Tips videos.

GRUNTERSDAD said:

Mine is about 1 inch above center and read somewhere, and can not find the source, that moving it off center will give a better sound than dead center.

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Not the source, per se, but with most drums hitting in the dead on center of the head muffles the sound quite a bit. I think this gets more prominent the larger the drum gets.

Anyone every play timpani? If you hit the head dead center, you get nothing. Playing 1/3 of the way in is the sweet spot (for timps anyway).

Maybe play around with the batter location and try the spot 1/3 of the way from the rim?

Sirwill said:

I was wandering what the average position of bass beaters are in relation to the bass drum head? In theory if you look at the bass head as a clock the center would be found by drawing a line from 12, 6 and then 3, and 9 o,clock and the center would be were the lines cross. I have placed my beaters there many times and find that the sweet spot for me is about two inches higher then center. Just wandering were DrummerWorld places there beaters?

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Do you tend to bury the beater into the head or do you let it fly back naturally?
I tend to bury it most times and I am trying to break the habit, I'm a heel up player and that is not the best way. If I were to master the correct heel down method I would say that dead centre would be the best. That's the way one of this sites fave drummers John Bonham did it, Heel down would also allow you to learn the technique of quick double beats by hitting the pedal with your heel and then coming down quickly with your top foot. I think though that what ever produces the sound you like is all that really matters in the end but I prefer dead centre, When I olayed my 18" I never got a riser for it so the beater hit about an inch up off the centre and it sound killer so I guess it is a matter of adapt and overcome.

This is an interesting topic. In all my years of playing, I have never even experimented or thought about this. I usually try to keep mine centered, but I will definitely play around with positioning now...

GRUNTERSDAD said:

Mine is about 1 inch above center and read somewhere, and can not find the source, that moving it off center will give a better sound than dead center.

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Seeing as the drum is ROUND, up and down won't matter so much unless you use some sort of muffling in the bottom of the drum. You might benefit from getting the beaters away from the muffling.

I get as close to center as a double pedal will allow, just about an inch off center. Most double pedals don't split the center too well, the left beater is ever so slightly more off center than the right beater . . . MAN that bugs me!! The Iron Cobra does that, the DW 5000 not quite so much.
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Trip McNealy said:

Mine too.

The source would be Bob Gatzen. One of his Quick Tips videos.

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Thanks Trip. I searched his tapes, Youtube, and couldn't find it. I remember playing the huge Orchestra bass in school and was told to play about a third down from the top and the same when I played the Tympani..