I have been shaving with a straight for about the same amount of time, so I am not qualified to offer tips on technique. I have two suggestions that have been helpful to my learning curve. First, part of my shave routine involves watching this video and practicing some skin stretching before I lather up. Second, I found a beauty supply chain store that carries a cheap plastic shavette "Magic Razor" for less than $10. I practiced handling the "razor" in both hands and spent some time stretching and "practice shaving" to develop a light touch, watch angles and acclimate my left hand to the motions. I found that if I have more than one days growth, the bladeless shavette grabs the whiskers so I cut a plastic hotel room key and placed it in the holder to approximate my 6/8 blade thickness. I've never put a real blade in the thing and do not intend to.

I've been lurking here for a while and hope this gives a little back to the community that has provided me with so much helpful information. Good Luck!