so ive been studying code for about 4 months now and im decent at copying at around 13-15 wpm with the software but when i actually try to send with a paddle its just awful. like i know what i want to send but my hand doesnt cooperate at all. im using one of those cheap amazon paddles that came with my radio bundle and i wonder if thats part of the problem or if its just me needing more practice.

the keyer in my IC-7300 has the iambic modes A and B and honestly i dont even know which one im supposed to use. ive just left it on whatever the default was. also my dit/dah ratio feels off somehow but i cant tell if thats a settings thing or just my terrible technique. anyone been through this and have advice? i really want to get on the air for CW contacts before the end of the year and right now i feel pretty hopeless about it

oh man i remember this exact feeling, dont give up. the cheap paddles really do make a difference unfortunately — the tension and gap adjustment on the bargain ones are usually pretty loose and sloppy and that makes it so much harder to build consistent muscle memory. you dont have to spend a fortune but something like a Begali Simplex Light or even a used Bencher BY-1 would be a big step up. check ebay, people sell decent paddles all the time.

on the iambic thing — honestly try mode A first, most people find it more predictable when starting out. mode B does the squeeze-keying thing differently and it can feel weird until youre more experienced. and yeah check your weight/tension settings, the 7300 keyer is actually pretty good once you dial it in. id set the speed down to like 10 wpm and just send random 5-letter groups until your hand starts to relax. the tension you hold in your wrist when youre nervous is probably making it worse too, happens to everyone

I'm kind of in a similar spot so can't give a ton of advice but one thing that helped me was watching videos of people actually operating with paddles in slow motion — you can really see how light the touch should be. I was squeezing way too hard for a long time and it was causing all kinds of timing issues. Also I switched to straight key practice for a few weeks just to get my ear connected to my hand better before going back to the paddle, not sure if thats the right approach but it seemed to help me personally.