I agree, absolutely and completely, about drainage. But wouldn't till or otherwise disturb soil as attempt to improve that. Disturbing the soil wrecks what little drainage there may be. This can also lead to drastic erosion, such as that which led to the dust bowl in the 30's.
Keeping ground covered with OM is like magic, and does the work of turning airless clay into black, fluffy, crumbly, fertile soil that's not muddy when wet, or cracked and hard when dry. There is no such thing as a dense, healthy forest with bad dirt because the OM in them is never removed as is often practiced in gardening (and more dramatically in mowed areas.) In order for soil to have tilth and humus, it must be added to the surface in the form of OM, and replaced as it is depleted.
This works equally well in a housing developments up north where all of the top soil has been removed for sale when houses are built, and in both red clay and sandy spots in AL. Spots that required a maddock to dig a hole before being covered with OM while can be easily planted in with a hand trowel after a few seasons. The condition and composition of soil is so easily changed with very little effort, a little time, as I've seen in so many new beds I've stared in both states. I've watched various yearly-tilled gardens over the years and the soil in them gets worse, not better. Lighter color, hard as a rock and cracked when dry, muddy when wet. Those gardens usually need fertilizers.
