Its true that you need to be paitient when it comes to sparring and getting better.
In boxing... some people can disagree if they like...but you cant rush things. Figuring something out for yourself not only gives you more confidence in the ring but outside as well.
As for drills and excercises to "get you there faster" is quite difficult.
Think of it this way.
How many different sparring partners have you had or is it just the same guy?
If you want, watch THEM sparr or shadow box prior to sparring with them.
Start from the feet up.
DOes he have bad footing? Can you out maneuver him and hit him from an angle?
Second, watch his hip rotation. Does he over-rotate when he punches. Be specific with that too, look for an over-rotation in Hooks or cross etc etc.
Thirdly, watch his shoulders and his arms. Does he relax when he moves around or is he a pent up bull? If he is all tight, HE might feel the power, but youll only really feel a 3rd of it. Thats another little mental thing too.
In watching his shoulders, look at his breathing. Does he exhale when punching or does he hold his breath. He will tire easily if he does hold it in. Watch if he keep his mouth open too. A hanging jaw is much easy to connect with AND a KO is easy to achieve in this case. In watching his mouth, look to see if his chin is tucked in constantly.

Finnaly, his punching. Watch to see if he lowers them at ANY point of his punching.

Hopefully by studyin your opponent, YOU YOURSELF can find out a common flaw and exploit it.

Thats my two cents worth