On Jan 5, 12:56*pm, tstock wrote:

important?), but wasn't really sure why. *I asked my regular
instructor about it a few days later and he advised against it. *After
reading this thread it's pretty clear now why it is not such a good
idea.

The story that's been relayed to me was that the "soft release"
technique was spawned by commercial operators (and perhaps some clubs)
who wanted to save wear and tear on their Schweizer equipment. It has
nothing to do with improving safety or "proper" release technique or
gaining an advantage off tow. A well-done soft release is a nice
display of airmanship, but is not necessary (especially with Tost-type
releases) and - has been pointed out - can cause serious problems!

--Noel