Trowel blade direction was backwards for 8 years, a tiny bubble fixed it

I been finishing concrete for about 8 years now, mostly driveways and patios in the Phoenix area. Always did my final pass with the trowel tipped up on the leading edge, thought that was just how you get it smooth. Then last month a homeowner came out and pointed at this tiny bubble forming near the forms, said 'you know that's from your blade angle, right?' I tried it his way, blade flat and pulled toward me instead of pushed, and the surface came out way tighter. Felt like an idiot honestly. All those years I was fighting the cream instead of letting it work. Has anyone else had a simple trick like that completely flip how they do a basic step?

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william_carter14d ago

Did the homeowner show you the bubble before or after you pulled the float, because timing can change how much that blade angle matters? I've seen guys run a trowel for years a certain way and never question it until someone points out the finish is actually trapping air. What's the move for getting that flat pull to work on a hot Phoenix slab without burning the surface?