so ive been at this for about three months now, started with a cheap single lever paddle i picked up used and been running it into an old MFJ keyer. my dits are coming out okay but my dahs feel rushed somehow, like the ratio is off even though the keyer is set to 3:1. i've watched probably a dozen youtube videos on technique and they all say different things about thumb position and squeeze pressure.

im currently sending around 12-13 wpm which feels comfortable reading but when i actually try to transmit a full exchange in a pileup or even just a basic QSO my brain freezes and the sending falls apart. dont know if this is a paddle issue or just me needing more practice. been doing the lcwo lessons every morning but im not sure if that's helping with actual sending or just copying.

anyone been through this and come out the other side? feels like im plateauing and its a little discouraging

yeah that plateau feeling is totally normal, i hit the same wall around the same speed. what helped me was honestly just slowing way down for a few weeks, like uncomfortably slow, and focusing on clean spacing between characters rather than speed. the rhythm has to get into your muscle memory before your brain can relax enough to string together a real QSO.

also — and this might sound weird — try sending while you're doing something else like watching TV or just sitting outside. when you stop consciously thinking about each element the sending gets smoother. my elmer called it "getting out of your own way" and i thought he was being corny but he was right.

the pileup freeze is a whole separate problem, thats more about operating confidence than keying mechanics. start with some of the slower CW nets to get comfortable sending in a real QSO without pressure. SKCC has some real relaxed on-air activity if you havent checked that out.

im kind of in the same boat actually so watching this thread. one thing i did notice is my dah timing got way better after i adjusted the paddle tension — mine was too loose and i was kind of slapping at it instead of controlled pressure. took maybe 20 minutes of fiddling but made a difference. what paddle are you using exactly?