PLAX first. Everything else is easier after that.
Most students jump windows. That is why echo feels chaotic.
Run every study in the same order:
PLAX — chambers, valves, pericardium, a first look at function
PSAX — AV, MV, pap, apex
Apical
Subcostal if you still need it
If PLAX is off-axis, every measurement after it is a guess. Get that window clean before you chase color Doppler.
The tell: aortic root and LV should line up. If the LV looks like a banana, you are not on axis. Fix that before you freeze.
That habit is the whole game. The rest is reps.