In order to gain good control over the drum set, one needs to spend a lot of time on conditioning your hands. I found accent studies to be extremely helpful for strengthening my hands.
Let's get started with a simple accent matrix over 16th notes. You should practice these accents in a hand to hand (RLRL) sticking and over a basic foot ostinato, such as quarter notes in the bass drum and 2,4 on the HI-Hat. Practice these exercises slowly and with a metronome. You should focus on being relaxed at all times. The goal is ultimate control, and not speed. The speed will come automatically once you master these drills!
It is crucial to focus intently on the dynamic levels between accented and unaccented notes. Try to imagine two horizontal lines above the snare drum. One about half-an-inch above the drum head, the other about six inches above the head. Then make sure that the tips of your sticks always go up to exactly the same height when they rebound from the head, half an inch for unaccented notes, six for accented once.
I find it helpful to think of pulling the stick out of the head after it fell onto drum, rather than hitting the stick down into the head. Thinking like that helps me to create a smoother and more fluid motion.
