The basic backbeat already has your hands and one foot doing different things. Basic coordination generalizes that — the same hi-hat pattern in your hands, with the kick drum landing on every possible position underneath. Each variation is its own coordination puzzle.
Order matters. Easy first (kick on every beat), harder later (kick on the offbeats only). Don't skip ahead — the muscle memory you build on the easy ones is what lets you play the hard ones.
Exercises
1 — Kick on Every Beat (Hands and Foot in Sync)
Hi-hat 8ths in the hands, kick drum on every quarter beat. The hand and foot land together on each beat — there's no independence yet. Use this exercise to feel what total sync between hand and foot is like.
2 — Kick on 1 and 3
Foot rests on beats 2 and 4 while the hands keep going. First real independence: the hand keeps moving while the foot is still. Watch out for hesitation in the hands when the foot is silent.
3 — Kick on 2 and 4
The kick now lands where the snare normally would in a backbeat. Counter-intuitive but a great exercise — you're forcing the foot off the strong beats. If the hands rush, slow down.
4 — Kick on Every Eighth
Hands and feet now play 8ths in unison. Tempo dropped to ♩=70 because eight kicks per bar is a workout. Heel-up technique helps; don't muscle the foot.
5 — Kick on the Offbeats
Kick on the &s only — every offbeat, never on the beat. This is the hardest of the five and the most rewarding. The pulse stays in your hands; the foot floats between the pulses. When this clicks, real independence has begun.