I find that focusing on kicking backwards but not up is the key - but I often just hold the rope above it if I can reach conveniently. I'm right-handed, and find a left-foot Pantin to be far more convenient to use than a right-foot - keeps everything nicely separated, with my hand-jammer safety cord to the far right of my D-ring lineup. A lot of the stuff I'm currently doing is up quite tight vein-slots (Bitch Pitch size or smaller), and that's where the Pantin really shines, as you're kept upright by the walls, which reduces the strain on your shoulders massively - so you can loosen off the straps and then ropewalk with alternate steps. As long as you've got one wall in front of you it's fast, but with two, it's quite amazing how quick you can go up.