so ive been trying to get into CW for about three months now and i finally passed my general so i figured id actually try to use the HF privileges for something other than just phone. bought a cheap dual-lever paddle off amazon (i know i know) and hooked it up to my old Kenwood with the built in keyer.

the problem is my dits and dahs just sound... sloppy? like i know what im trying to send but when i play it back it doesnt sound like what i thought i sent. ive been practicing with the Koch method on an app and im fine copying at like 15 wpm with good spacing but when i actually try to send that fast my hand just doesnt cooperate. feels like im squeezing too hard or something. im at maybe 10-12 wpm sending comfortably but even then its not clean.

is this just a practice thing or is there something technique-wise i should be looking at? also does the paddle quality matter that much at this stage or am i just making excuses

totally normal where you're at, dont worry about it too much. the thing that helped me most was slowing way down and really focusing on relaxing my grip. like almost let the paddle do the work, you shouldnt be muscling it. a lot of new CW ops squeeze the thing like theyre trying to strangle it and then the timing goes all over the place.

as for the paddle quality question -- honestly it does matter eventually but probably not yet. the main thing cheaper paddles have issues with is the gap adjustment slipping or the contacts being inconsistent, so check if yours has a way to lock down the adjustments. if the gaps are changing on you mid-session that'll absolutely wreck your timing. mine came loose twice before i figured out what was happening.

also try dropping your speed a bit and just doing one letter at a time perfectly. like obsessively perfect. then string two together, then three. its boring but it actually works faster than just hammering away at full speed and hoping it gets better.

im kind of in the same boat so take this with a grain of salt but what helped me was recording myself on a voice recorder app and then listening back. hearing it externally instead of just feeling it in my hand was kind of eye opening honestly. i was cutting my dits way too short without realizing it.

also someone on another forum mentioned using a straight key for a while just to get the rhythm feel before going back to the paddle and i tried it for like two weeks and it actually did seem to help, not sure if thats just placebo or what but figured id mention it