Oh wow!! I think that is just beautiful by itself!!
I think the point with practicing with pencil, ballpoint pen or gel pens is to build muscle memory and learn the letterforms in a more convenient and easy way. Then you can change to a nib and begin dealing with papel fibers and dipping in ink. Just one problem at a time!
But you have a point too on that doubt. Does it really help? I realized some times I do not hold the ballpen in the same way I would hold my holder and nib. It is so easy to use that I forget that you can't rotate nibs, for example. I suppose that do not help at all, creating the wrong muscle memory.
But, I do know that, even it maybe does not count as real dip nib practice, it can be a gorgeous style just by itself and you can use it for informal letters or even "low cost" calligraphy wedding or on-site jobs.
Thanks! I, too, don't hold a ball pen the same as a holder. I got to thinking about this because I recent bought a flourishing pen and realized that my muscle memory for oblique holder ovals doesn't exactly carry over to a straight/flourishing pen. I was like, "OK, ovals, here we go! *switches to offhand flourishing grip* Oh...
what the heck?...
"
You're right tho, ball pen practice may not directly translate to oblique holder and nib but it can be useful by itself. It can just be its own thing.