This problem is caused because you are to eager to start playing fast songs maybe?

You can't learn a good motion if you don't start everything slow and work on all the fundamentals seprately, or else you will never bring your standards higher and you will keep hurting yourself more and more!

Practice everything slowly, keep track on everything you do (everythings that's bad or going better) and note it down on a paper. Practice really slowly just to get the correct motion, and then bring it up slightly in speed (no where near fast) and stark working on the endurance and everything like that  .

If your body is twisted, you shold consider openhanded playing (playing with your weak hand on hihat). You have to lower your hihat to do this!

Continuance in this form of playing will endure your bad habits, and if you rush the evolution of your motion (like skipping ahead) you'll only cheat yourself.

I consider myself a beguinner-interemediet, and I find this method very effecient.

im inclined to agree with skriben on this one in that your problems of balance probably stem from your seat.

it sounds as though you are planting all your weight on your hihat, when idealy your weight should be centred above your stool. to promote this you may like to try some double pedal work, if you havent already, which forces you to position your weight on the throne.

good luck with it, hope it works out.

thanks for the suggestions!
the distribution of my weight seems to be the problem, so i guess the throne is the first place to look. you're right about putting the weight on the pedals, wharnr - i seem to shift my weight between the kick and the hihat.
apart from centering myself properly on the throne, how high should i adjust it, how far away from the kit in order to maintain this balance, and how far away from each other should my hihat and kick pedal be? are there specific angles?