Just revived this thread because Mike posted an interesting post on Facebook regarding a scientific explanation on why he sometimes seemed robotic.
"This is a "Foot Practice and interesting bits and goals" post that won't work on Twitter, but will on Facebook wink emoticon ...
Today I practiced with two differently set kick pedals near each other. One with springs cranked to work the hamstring area and one with a light touch to increase my stamina and speed approach. Using a felt beater side with DT, I need to crank into the kick drums to get a "snap." We don't use "fast" kick patterns (relative to the truly fast speed metal players,) so I need to suffer in off time to try to make gains in that area. I don't have the live adrenaline, so I'm trying to simulate the need to lay into the strokes.
I do NOT look like I hit as hard as I do live with hands or feet, especially on video- I look like I'm not whacking the drums. I watch me and feel very strange because what I see is NOT what I feel like, nor sound like. People in the first rows can hear my live drums even with the PA, but I look like Neil from Rush often- precise; focussed on almost a robotics approach on strong hits etc. Meaning, I think about my trunk turns, upstrokes and accuracy like my life depends on it trying to repeat similar parts nightly. I'm not a loosy goosy rubbery looking drummer. I don't think he is either, but he hits really, really hard; harder than I thought until I saw him years ago and the toms were moving! Not that I'm the same....not my point; he just an example of the truth of hitting versus the look of a drummer that raises their arms very high. Those hits are not as hard as they appear more often than not science can show.
There's a scientific explanation for this. My hand hitting was measured in Japan by their version of MIT against 600 other drummers. Having multiple electrodes hooked up with sensors on pads, my hits at 18 beats per second registered as harder hit than all the others they measured, even at as little as 4 hits per second. High arm lifting does not require the lat area, which really adds velocity. My measured hitting is due to my using my lat muscle usage in conjunction with the entire upper body right down to my thumb pressure and... 40 years of practicing the upstroke. At 20 & 21 per second, my velocity dropped of course. My feet are not that 'good.' I'm hoping to gain a bit of strength and speed as separate techniques and have some goals during what looks to be a very, very long Astonishing touring cycle. It amazing how two weeks of laziness ruin months of practice isn't it?"
So he really hits harder without much visible physical exertion. I remember that he also explained scientifically why he became an open-handed drummer (his body physique made cross-handed drumming difficult for him).