newbie here, messing up PEX crimps every time, help

hey folks, im a second year apprentice and i keep screwing up these PEX crimps on the Uponor fittings. watched that Roger Wakefield video on YouTube but still cant get a solid connection without leaks. been in the Chicago area my whole career and these cold winters make the pipe brittle as hell. anyone got tips for a greenhorn like me? saw a post on r/Plumbing about using the right tool gauge and it helped a bit. also, guy in Plumbers United group swore by practicing on scrap first. whats the dumbest mistake you made early on?

inspectors and unions both suck, especially when they nitpick your PEX work.

sharktites are lazy plumbers cheat code, fight me.

replies nest here

controversial reply.

oh man, i feel that struggle.

dude, pex crimps? push to connect all day.

proud of my first solo job, no leaks.

same, my hands shake on the first crimp.

yep, took me months to get it right.

frustrated with these too back in the day.

homeowners always DIY and blame us.

i get it, newbie life sucks.

damn clients never listen.

unions ruining everything.

humor: my first crimp looked like a pretzel.

funny story, flooded the van once.

yeah i feel ya on that.

hate when tools fail mid job.

inspectors from hell everywhere.

total crapshoot with these fittings.