What is good about this pad is it does not have the same rebound as most bass drums, making you work a bit harder during practice. It will work with single or double pedal configurations, and folds down to get out of your way when you are not using it.

I practice by first spending an hour using the exercise technique Blackwell recommends, which is to sit without a pedal and do quarter notes with your right foot, heel down, and rocking your left foot so that your toe is down on 2 and 4. This exercise builds calf strength and also locks in basic timing. Next I spend an hour on this pad with a single pedal, starting with the same pedal-less exercise I just described, then working to 16th notes. Sometimes I use a muted hi-hat for my left foot. I focus on both speed and accents with this pad, and I also have a piece of heavy cloth over the strike area to dampen the small amount of rebound this pad has to make me work harder. The dampening is akin to using pillows for stick practice – when you practice without any rebound your speed dramatically improves when you get on your set and play.

Of course, this pad is also an outstanding general practice tool that works well when you are using mesh heads and cymbal mutes, or a practice pad set.
Rating: 5 / 5