Do you have muffling inside the drum? I have been playing for more than a few years and when I went away from the pillow in the drum to a more resonant sound, I had / have the same issue. I have been working on letting the beater rebound off of the head rather than pressing in after a stroke. Try it slowly and lots of repetitions. Try to pull a good tone out of the drum without worrying about speed just yet. Practice this technique until it begins to feel natural, then play more complex grooves.
Best of luck.
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