LostHawken

I'm new too, but here's my plan...feel free to point out the flaws all...

I've got a maple that's a few years behind yours. I recieved it as a sapling "stick in a pot" I planted it in the ground and let it grow last summer. I pinched back the top most shoots trying to get branching lower down on the trunk, this was likely a waste of time and the tree's energy. I moved the tree to a plastic pot for the winter, and cut the trunk back to the third undeveloped bud this spring to get taper started and induce the growth of some sacrificial branches. I also tipped the pot to make the trunk line grow curved. I'm about to move now, but as soon as I get the chance I'll be putting it back in the ground (with some nebari prep) and let everything but bar branches grow, and trunk chop accordingly to increase taper and prevent reverse taper until I'm satisfied with the trunk shape. Then I'll likely remove most of the branches and grow the final ones from scratch.

My guess is that your tree could use some free growth and sacrificial branches depending on the style your going for. I'd probably cut the trunk back to those lowest bar branches next spring, after letting it go this summer, and then see where it goes from there, focusing only on trunk shape.

2 cents from a beginner to get the ball rolling.

~JG