I can only run stock kernels

I am trying to flash new ROMs but I can't run anything but a stock kernel. I can run a clockworkmod stock kernel with superuser installed per the rootzwiki guide. When I successfully flash a ROM, it beaks clockwork mod's ability to load the ROM so that I can't load my backup. Every time that I flash a ROM, I get a soft brick which requires me to use ODIN to replace the kernel so that I can reload my backup.

So my question is, what am I going to do? Is there a way to try different kernels and ROMs to see where the problem is? Is there a thread that details how I should be troubleshooting this? This seems to be an easy thing for most people to do, and I am getting nowhere due to what seems like a nothing issue.