Personally, I wouldn't recommend val maps to anybody. Just practice with enjoyable hard difficulties until they're perfect. Try playing normal/hard with mods as well.
Also, get used to a lower DPI setting and learn to move your arm more. It's more steady and more ergonomic. I use a Logitech G9x with an ID Grip at 300dpi. It makes it harder to twitch with jumps, but I don't play maps with senseless jumps and it's actually easier to control my mouse when I hit jumps. I'm not a great player at all, but I can still play with some degree of competence.
Also, on a slightly unrelated note, I honestly think that anything that makes the background less distracting should be housed within a difficulty reduction mod, because they make a map easier. I want to see excellent players manage to SS maps as they were originally intended.