A self-servowriting (SSW) method that, with the actuator fully engaged against a compliant structure (e.g., a crashstop), first writes a tightly-spaced open-loop sequence of servo bursts in a segmented spiral path and then continues writing this tightly-spaced sequence under closed-loop servo control while reading back amplitude information from the servo bursts written earlier until the tightly-spaced burst pattern extends over several read-write head (RWH) offset intervals. With the actuator still engaged against the compliant structure, this tightly-spaced startup sequence is then read back by the closed servo control loop to write a number of concentric servo seed tracks, which are then self-propagated across the remainder of the disk surface to produce a final servopattern.