Actually, one thing you should understand is that learning Chinese calligraphy starts with copying. Therefore, when you practice to a certain level, your calligraphy will be the same as the model. It is a bit difficult to change it. What you change is to create your own. The font is called "chutie", which is the goal pursued by calligraphy.
Your situation is easy to handle, the key is persistence. First of all, if you study Pang Zhonghua and you don’t like it now, then forget his calligraphy. What should you do? Just choose a book with a font you like to practice, but it is quite different from Pang Zhonghua’s calligraphy. I recommend Tian Yingzhang, write Tian Yingzhang’s regular script, insist on it every day, and forget about it.
To practice running script, you don’t have to choose Pang Zhonghua. You can choose Gu Zhongan’s running script to practice, or the hard-pen version of Lanting Preface, or any kind of running script you like. Instead of learning Pang’s running script, learn Other running scripts, combined with Tian Yingzhang's regular script, will change after a period of time. If you can reach the point where you can see very similar characters when facing any font, then practice casually and learn the good characters when you see them. You have a solid foundation, and there is no harm in being mixed. If you persist for a certain period of time, your words will have the meaning of a hodgepodge, and you will be a big step closer to being close, haha.
Theoretically, you should have the foundation of brush calligraphy to write hard-pen calligraphy, but in fact, it may not be possible. If you practice carefully and work hard, you can write pen calligraphy well without the foundation of brush calligraphy. But if you want to finally publish a post , you have to improve your calligraphy appreciation (theoretical level and artistic accomplishment). If you think Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy is not good-looking, it means that your theoretical level and appreciation level are far from enough. From this perspective, you still have to practice calligraphy. If you just want to write pen calligraphy well, there is no need to practice calligraphy.
I wonder if the answer is satisfactory? If you have any questions, we can continue discussing~