Actually I just tried it doing very deliberate rest strokes on upstrokes when a string change isn’t required. The sync is better then and I did the USX change a couple of times.
Would using these rest strokes be a positive thing to start doing?
Whatever works works 
You know the rule: if it sounds good it’s good. The more accurate version would read: if it sounds and feels good*, it’s good!
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If it works use it, there’s nothing wrong with that.
I would say break it into logical chunks. Either beat by beat or however the musical phrases make sense to you. Thinking in smaller groups should allow you to focus on the sync and you may find you can do these chunks pretty fast.
Another good chunking principle is to include the first note of the next chunk since it will be helpful when you string it all together
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Ok thanks, Yes I’m trying that now.
You can shorten the phrase altogether so that you just repeat the relevant parts that have both inside an outside picking, and then just cycle on repeat.
This will be somewhat easier because you don’t have a huge string skip to get back to the starting note, and you have the open strings so only strong fingers get used, and you have a break before you use them.
Another thing I noticed about this phrase regarding hand sync, is all the open strings. Hmmm. I don’t play many patterns with open strings and at higher speeds I could see that causing issues since there will be places where the fretting hand just stops. Still, same solution - smaller chunks, evaluate accuracy, the hands will learn what they need to do.
That’s what I was getting at above with the “are you sure post?” There may be a brain connection with starting on the one with a finger. When you have open strings that fall on down beats it all changes that connection because your brain may expect your finger to hit somewhere on a down beat, and so they might.
If you move the shape to a fretted position, you now have another problem, and that’s the pinky on down beats and up beats, which can be a related and equally tricky issue.
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Yes it could be that. Unfortunately bluegrass music is played down there with open strings so this is just something I’ll need to work on!!
Thank you for highlighting this, it really is helping. I’m now thinking a lot more about chunking and timing and where the beats are, how to feel relaxed.
I think for the past 3 years I’ve been mindlessly practicing without engaging as much
Thank you!