[yodon]

I think this is something of a debate on "is it good to get some exercise?" vs "is walking or swimming or weight lifting a better exercise?"

The minimal set of doodles I mentioned is a simplification of the Palmer method, which can itself be thought of as a simplification of the Spencerian method. If one wants to get into penmanship seriously, there are many wonderful rabbit warrens to descend into.

If one is unable to form legible letters at all, in my experience that tends to be more of a fine motor eye-hand coordination thing than anything else, in which case almost any well-chosen set of doodle drills will help significantly.

[edit] also - welcome to HN! I just noticed the green font for your username. I suspect you'll have lots to contribute to this place.

[squirt]

> I think this is something of a debate on "is it good to get some exercise?" vs "is walking or swimming or weight lifting a better exercise?"

This is an astute comparison, and I think you're completely right. One who devotes time and effort into practice (nearly any practice) of handwriting will improve.

However I would liken it more to something such as: "will Olympic weightlifting make me a better soccer player than sprinting, ball control, and team coordination drills will?". It's not a generic A or B, as we're trying to achieve an intended result.

More aptly, "given I want to achieve C, is A or B a better approach".