My poor baby...

[CALM Pythons]

Keep in mind post count doesn't show experience, it just shows if people are new to this site. I'd be interested to hear why soaking is so bad, maybe things have changed but I learned that trick over 20 years ago and it's worked every time I've received a new animal in this kind of condition. Once I have them they only have clean easy sheds because I keep my humidity up and so I never need to help with a shed. You do though. I can tell your pythons skin is dry from the pics, where it looks like wrinkles. That is not normal and only shows up when an animal is too dry. They shed perfectly fine on their own if you keep them in the correct environment but you've let him dry out with your heat lamp and open screen top I'm assuming. Now soaking is your easiest bet, it softens the skin and allows the animal to do it on their own like they are supposed to.

Get your humidity up and you wont have to worry about it again. An easy fix is just to cover some of your screen top with plastic. This will help keep humidity in for now but for long term you'll want to look into a enclosure that is better suited for your ball python.

I do soak when needed.. But i also would give him a day to do this on his own. When i soak i do so for 15 min and in 88 degee water, that is more than enough ( lid on) to soften up a dry shed. 2 hours is a tottaly unnecssary period of time for a ball python and i don't suggest extreme things to newbies as the snakes are already stressed from the home change, husbandry not on and new owners lack of knowledge. If you look a couple posts back youll see the snake is handled for 5 hours a day....
If your a 20 year snake keeper im sure you understand what might be common sense to us isnt common sense to unexperienced keepers. Im a 29 year owner of burms and balls and im amazed at the craziness i see on here everyday. Cripe today someone thought they bought a Corn Snake and its a Hatchling Albino Burm. I feel bad for that animal in the hands of a teen when they cant take care of it.