Throughout the ages, no one can achieve the goal by bypassing pen control, whether practicing standard Chinese characters or learning calligraphy. Wang Xizhi practiced the word "Yong" for fifteen years, and it took fifteen years for an eight-stroke character. I think everyone has their own answers about how many exercises of pen control ability are included in it.
In the early stage of practicing pen control, you can correct the wrong pen-holding posture, such as hooking your wrist. In the middle stage, you can practice the ability to point where to hit, and continue to practice the aesthetic feeling of pen control, which can make your handwriting have inherent beauty.