Let me try to give an example of 3-D versus Precision flying in a different manner and I'm not saying one is better than the other -I'm certainly not putting down 3-D. I happen to enjoy Pattern and just want to present a different view point. Having said that , Here goes :

I just came home from our annual FallFest Heli Fun Fly. Now what does heli flying have to do with pattern you ask ?

Well a really accomplished heli flyer, sorry I don't know his name, put on an amazing 3-D demo flight with all the wild 3-D stuff we've all seen these helis do.

As the next gentlemen was taking off he commented , "Here's something you should try, I think you'll enjoy it. "

Then he went through 3 different series of precise sets of maneuvers such as starting from a hover, roll right, then pirrouette, then flip it up and over to an inverted hover. Then reversing the sequence returning to the spot he began from. He then did it to the left and said " After you master this start from inverted and do it all again."
He did 2 other sets that not being into Helis I don't know how to describe properly. While flying each sequence he demonstrated how they shoud look when done correctly. It didn't look hard but he was placing the helicopter precisely in a spot in the sky and making it do a specific thing and end up in a new location precisely in another spot in the sky. Not just letting it go anyole where across the sky and spin or roll or whatever .

Later the 3-D flyer said " Ok, walk me through it and I'll give it a try". He went up and tried it, with the other gentleman talking him through the sequences. He really struggled to do it and commented on how difficult it was. Now here's a guy who earlier flew a 3-D flight that was just amazing - BUT he was letting it happen wherever the heli just happened to be in the sky at the time. Now he was having to work really HARD to attempt to place that heli "precisely" where he wanted it. I bet when he gets home he does a lot more of that.
One of our local heli flyers said" Man I walked over here to see you do something, stop doing that boring stuff and show me something good".

My point is the 2nd gentleman was flying his helicopter precisly , very much like we "pattern" guys fly our planes.
We usually only see 3-D done with rc helis just as most people think 3-D is the "thing" to do with planes when you get really good.

Precision flying , where you can place you plane in a spot in the sky, make it do a specific thing and end up in the same spot you started or a predetermined new "spot" in the sky requires discipline and hard work . It may at first look boring because it tends to be at a slower pace, much smoother and definitely more deliberate. But when you learn to do it, there is a thrill that I don't get from 3-D'ing just anywhere across the sky. Please don't misunderstand me, 3-D is cool too and I have a plane to do that with and sometimes I want to just relax and ring it out but I quickly get enough of that and go back to my pattern plane and working on my sequences.

I hope this helps. Sorry it got so long but I wanted to try and share a different view of precision flying.

When you see what pattern is about you may really enjoy it. As Scott said your 3-D flying will automaticaly get better .