After buying a double kick pedal a little while back to try and add a bit more flair to my bass drum technique, I've started to experiment with the heel toe method. I always found that the extra metalwork on the floor around the bass drum and the hi-hat a tad clumsy in tight spaces at smaller gigs, so I started to look at the heel-toe alternative.
First things first; unless you have tiny feet take your shoes off, otherwise the pedal just won't be long enough. You need to position your throne so that you sit high enough for you to be able to drop your leg on the pedal. Start with your toes on the lifted pedal, then drop your heel down on the pedal near the swivel for the first stroke. Immediately rock your toes back onto the pedal to make the second stroke. As soon as your toes hit, repeat the cycle by rocking your heel back onto the pedal followed once again by your toes.
Try adjusting the tension on your pedal. You will have to experiment, but I found that less tension was better. Try loosening the tension until the beater swings freely for about 10 seconds after you take your foot off.
The key is to experiment and find out what is right for you. I'm by no means perfect yet but it's coming together slowly and it's made me think more about my whole drumming technique.
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