It's an adage in the community that "the best bottoms make the best tops."
my Mistress has bottomed at some point, sometimes even just in a very minimal way, to ever sensation She delivers to me, every toy She uses on me. She has been caned, flogged, whipped, spanked, etc. She has worn presstacks before She placed them on me. She has felt the skin of my collar against her neck and cuffs against Her wrists. She doesn't love receiving caning or flogging like i do, but She wanted to understand what She would be delivering when She did those things and what a cane stroke or a lash with a whip felt like. i've known and talked to tops who did needles or pin branding or fire or wax on their own skin, on their legs, etc. before trying it on a bottom for the first time.

How important do you think it is for a Top to personally have experienced something on their own flesh before administering it to a bottom?