It’s not even your technique that is the issue. It’s the fact that you’re shotgunning it. The only benchmark you have for performance is a speed clock that you have no idea when is the last time it was calibrated. I’m a creative person as well, but if I’m going to deck a head, I’m going to measure compression and find a formula to know how much I can safely increase compression and how much material to take off to get there, then measure again and see if I’m where I want to be. If the squish band was curved, you probably could have improved performance as much as you’re going to by simply planing it flat. I make do with whatever tools I have and look for ideas and different ways of doing things as much as possible. But I try not to shotgun things.