[Thunderfoot]

Beginners should never have too much tension in my opinion...It can lead to relying on the bounce too much before you learn to actually 'play' each part of your triplet or double hit or syncopated thud after the snare....
I have mine medium tension, trying funky bass drum stuff on tight springs requires a lot more energy and can take away from a natural groove. But hey I play with swing so that's what suits me....