Yes. But like most things, the subject is more complex than it first appears. I actually probably agree with what Josh is saying. I know the year or so I spent without pole straps I started to develop odd spurious hand movements. In general I find that the act of gripping a handle often sets up tensions in the body that negatively affect movements in ways that one might not think poles could do. I often have people ski by lightly holding the pole in the middle of the shaft- like carrying a rifle. It really can free things up.
Some people hold an enormous amount of tension in their arms/hands - like people who ski with "dinosaur arms". Think T-Rex.
In terms of strap use, what
@Josh Matta is talking about I think is what this Japanese mogul skier is showing here. Hard to do that without tight straps. Swix tab system helps with this.
Go to 24:00:
Maybe
@Doug Briggs will post a photo of his classic Kerma poles from the seventies. A great pole which has been improved upon in lightness and grip. I wonder if anyone has ever broken one. It would take a lot. Their simple strap release mechanism has sadly disappeared and why I don't know. On the surface it's by far the best and simplest solution. Whether it actually performed as well in practice I don't know.
I like the Scott aluminum racing poles but they are heavy. Relatively speaking. It's not a bad compromise between heavy duty use and function though. But when I shift to the Swix carbon poles you really notice how light they are.
Totally agree with Swix poles. I want to take a pair of the Scott racing straps and mount it to my Swix freeride pole. The weakness in the Swix is the adjustment strap.
The Swix solution will certainly not appeal to the "poles should come out of a dumpster" crowd. They are among the most expensive. I think their ad tab system is good too for keeping grip without pressure.