so ive been at this for about three months now, got a decent set of paddles (Bencher BY-1) hooked up to my IC-7300 with the built in keyer and honestly the sending feels... okay sometimes and then completely falls apart other times. like ill be cruising along at maybe 15 wpm and then my brain just disconnects from my fingers and i start doubling up on dits or dropping dahs entirely.

i read somewhere that you're supposed to let the keyer do the work and not squeeze so hard on the paddles but i genuinely dont know what that means in practice. am i just gripping too tight? my tension is set pretty light i think, maybe 2-3 oz on each side. speed is at 15 wpm with the 7300's internal keyer on iambic mode B.

also separate question kind of - when should i start actually getting on the air and trying to make QSOs vs just practicing with a keyboard trainer. ive been using lcwo.net which is great but im not sure if im ready for real contacts yet

the gripping thing is real and it took me forever to figure out. you basically want your fingers resting on the paddles almost like theyre just touching them, not reaching or pressing. when you tense up your whole hand the timing gets sloppy because youre fighting the spring tension instead of working with it. try slowing way down, like 10-12 wpm, and focus just on staying relaxed. sounds boring but it actually helps build the muscle memory the right way.

as for getting on the air - just do it honestly. find a slow CW net or try 40m around 7.050 or so during the day, lots of patient operators hanging around there. the worst that happens is you have to ask for a repeat and nobody cares. i made my first CW contact at about 12 wpm and the other guy slowed right down without me even asking. most CW ops remember what it was like starting out

yeah mode B vs mode A is actually worth playing around with too if you havent. some people find one clicks better with how their brain works. i personally switched to mode A and it felt more natural to me but i know plenty of folks who swear by B so its kind of a personal thing. also what weight are your paddles? mine kept sliding around on the desk which was messing with my timing more than i realized, threw a mouse pad under them and it made a surprising difference lol