Lucky you.

I have to shave every day.
1. I have bad chronic dermatitis
2. for work I wear a coat
With no DFS / BBS in the morning, by lunchtime my neck is on fire.
For me, developing my expertise in wetshaving has been a necessity.

My apologies, but I may have misunderstood your post.
After re-reading it, are you doing both the "hurry" pass and then the "relaxed" passes to make for one shave session?

Sorry if I sounded rude or insensitive. Not my intention.

I'm nearly 100% ATG blade buffing, FWIW. My results are fast, as smooth as one might desire, and very rarely problematic. It just takes practice. Shaving isn't a chore but I'm not one to lollygag/zen out with it either.

Nope.
One pass when I've no time.
Three passes in the other (few) days.

No problem.
Mostly, people shaves with no / few issues.
When I was a beginner, in the '80s, It was a real problem to me.
Now, after years of learning how to control my skin problems, I enjoy my daily shave.
And (mostly) my dermatitis is under control, if I do my routine.

OTOH, I'm a good tester. If a product works on me, It's useful on almost everyone.

end of TSD life

Alarm clocks are adjustable.

With time, It'll be natural.

In time, the difference is few seconds.
Knowing the personal face mapping, after the first learning curve, one pass ATG is easy.
In almost the same time, a better shave. Specially about durability.

i was a 35 year cart shaver who converted to gillette DE in 2016.always had ingrowns or rash issues with carts.i do a 2 pass shave with minor pick ups in 2 spots.after mapping the face i do a NS then SN mostly,with 2 spots on the neck for pickups.it works as the growth is mainly downwards or to the side,so the main passes end up being across the grain passes.the pick ups are against the grain but i buff them and have no issues.slick soap,mild razors and sharp blades.near bbs is good enough for me.no irritation or issues,would they pass a cottonball test?90%,lower neck not.but thats fine by me as well.it took 5 years to get here but now i shave daily comfortably without past issues.

I was lucky enough to start with DE.
In the 1986, I was 13, my first setup was the same of my granpa (via my father).

• Razor: Gillette Super Speed Flare Tip
• Blade: Gillette Silver Blue
• Brush: Omega 10048
• Soap: Proraso Green
• After: Proraso Green

And I used it for almost two decades.
BUT, only in the online wetshaving community I really learned how to shave with no issue.

Actually, my shaving needs are a little over the standard.
I'm not THAT dummy ...

Try a lower grip position of the hand.
This makes a bigger leverage, with more angle control.
It' not a matter of pressure.

Few dozens to understand.
Few hundreds to learn.
Few thousends to master.
Frequency is key.

Hi Chris. To your question, several things go into mastering your technique. Pressure, angle of attack, and knowing your beard growth direction being the top three, in my opinion.
How long it will take YOU depends on how obsessive you with achieving results you're willing to live with. When I started accepting a DFS (darn fine shave), the shaves got easier. Those who demand a BBS (baby butt smooth) each and every shave may never get there.
Don't make it more complicated than it is. You're just dragging a piece of steel over your face. It doesn't (or rather, it shouldn't) take you too long to realize if you're using too much pressure, or if your angle of attack is too steep (digging into your face) or too shallow (not cutting whiskers). Your face will tell you if it doesn't like you shaving in a particular direction to the grain.

But they can.

My mother always said ...
Constancy and Patience
they are the provident daughters
of mother Intelligence
and father Commitment

"Once I have that down pat, I can start trying my Muhle Rocca, and Merkur Progress. Next year maybe."

Smart. Learn with what you have, not changing things around too soon or too often.

very cool.i started in 1981 at 14 ,but with bic disposables and canned foamy.a truly crap way to start.but i figured it it out.the problems came with multiblades..

for me it gets the most with fewer passes.i used to do 3.but only based on my growth pattern.if it grew in multiple directions it may not work.i will say also..it takes time for your skin to adapt.a raw shave at first the right way doesn't mean you did it wrong.it takes a few shaves in the same way.one day at a time..it will improve.

My opinion is as PLANofMAN, the the brush and razor do plenty of exfoliating by themselves. Anything more is overkill and may (emphasis may) not be good for your face.

No. I don't use any specific product.

Yes. I do face lathering and shave daily.
When my dermatitis strikes back, I use exausted coffee powder to gently scrub the other areas.
In the shaving areas, the brush and the edge are enough for me.