Drum playing is more difficult than it looks, and there is much more to playing than simply slapping a flat surface with your hands. In reality, playing drums is an art to be mastered, with techniques and steadily advanced styles. As with any other skill, it is one that must be mastered over time, with hours of practice and repetition.
Exact methods are difficult to go into much detail in a short post, and there is no definite one-for-all methods. However, here are a few quick tips on exercises to increase skill level.
There are two things to take notice of when playing the drums: control, and speed. Since speed tends to give more obvious results, many drummers make the mistake of focusing on speed. As a result, their playing often becomes sloppy, simply because they lack the control necessary to develop finer tuning.
The first step, then, would be to focus on control. As muscle control increases, so too does speed. This will greatly improve your playing and bring it to a new level. Control leads speed, and the only way to achieve good control is by focusing on form. When practicing, be careful not to ignore form in favor of speed of any other factor. In the end, form is the most important element in playing the drums well.
Stretching is a key factor to good playing, as it will keep you loose instead of muscle bound. One method is to straighten your arm directly in front of you, pulling the fingers back until you begin to feel the muscles stretch. Hold for twenty seconds, and release.
These are just a few things to consider in playing the drums, but they are highly important!
