There are really only a handful of motions: USX, DSX, switching between USX and DSX, and whatever people call double-escaped these days, let me call it 2X here although it is surely the wrong name. Depending on the nature of one’s music, one might be forced to choose one. Clearly double-escaped is the most powerful, but it seems more error prone, hence it is likely safer to depend on USX and/or DSX when possible. Once this type of thing is figured out, by all means spend time trying to find fast underlying motions to support the required pick behavior.
I suspect that if one is picking and unable to say what they think the pick is doing, they’re not paying enough attention, and some thought in that direction might be very beneficial. Next, one should indeed look with a Magnet and confirm that reality matches expectations; if not, more room for thought.
I always wonder the following in cases where people upload a video sample and the reviewers suggest it is string hopping: “what underlying motion does the player think that they’re doing?” If their mental model and the pick motion don’t agree, it might be worth digging in further, as it is possible that there might be a misunderstanding of what USX, DSX, and 2X actually mean.