Extremes? I prefer attention to detail. As far as "not worrying about the kick in the overheads" goes, I do worry about it and found it to be the number one reason why the close kick mic will be offset and why the mono image will lack effectiveness and punch.
Well, I check my mixes in mono and never have the problems you're talking about. You are talking in extremes. Saying "I mic the kik because I don't see the overheads as just cymbal mics" is talking in extremes. It's not only one or the other. Do you not work with toms, hi-hats, a snare, etc....? Or are you just trying to "win" an argument which I didn't even think this really was.
And dude, this isn't a pissing contest. I just didn't agree with what you were saying. Is this, or is this not a forum for healthy debate about audio? It is? Ok, good.
Sounds like you're the only one getting all uptight and trying to preach to someone who said they agree with a lot of what you're saying. You need to calm down and not get so defensive. I made it clear that everything I was saying applied to ME and works for ME. But hey, knock yourself out, it's your heart attack, not mine.
Another thing is I don't get your talk in percentages. In fact, I think it completely proves the fact that you ARE thinking in parts. Is 90% a part of 100%? Yes, it is. How am I supposed to relate that to a drum recording?
OK, now you're just being petty, trying to find anything you can hang your hat on. I do think overheads should capture most of your kit...like about 98%...or maybe 95%...or about 93%....OK?
Flipping polarity only fixes part of the problem. It doesn't remedy the phase issues and is usually a lesser of two evils. That is why mic placement is the best time to get your phase issues in order, IMO. Do me a favor and solo your overheads and check the L-R relationship of the kick at the master bus. If you're getting the same peak level on both, then everything is fine. If one side is lower than the other, then everything is not. You'll never get that kick to lay dead center until you get it's position in the overheads right. It is actually irrelevant how little the kick is coming through the overheads because you'll never eliminate it and it will always affect the mono close kick mic when summed together if that little bit is offset.
All that works fine on paper, but doesn't always apply in real life. If my kik mic is out of phase with my overheads, then flipping the polarity works fine. I usually have to do it with my snare and sometimes on the kik. So does lining up your tracks in your DAW for those who prefer doing it that way.But I have never had a problem with the kik being out of phase in the 2 overheads. I don't mean it's never out of phase, I mean it's never caused a problem when mixing the style of music I play and mix. Please feel free to go listen to a drum track of mine and tell me which way the kik is leaning. There's a difference between "ignoring" a problem and actually "having" a problem. Nobody's ignoring anything. If there is a problem, I address it.
Like I said, I used to take the time to center the kik in the overheads with Glyn Johns, but found that it doesn't make a difference when I mix. Again, I'm talking about what works for me. I'm not telling you to change your approach to anything.