I understand that train of thought Dave. I'm always bending up too. It's just a different approach. I just bend up to where I want the note to be ( like I would do on a real guitar ). I instinctively know that my G will wind up as an A when I'm finished if I bend it a whole step. By the time I hit the note itself the bend has already started. There is no longer any conscious thought process to it. It's just years of habit and practicing that way. I actually tried the other approach after seeing that other players do it the way you do, but I've done it the way I do for so long that it just doesn't seem natural to me. It comes down to what makes us feel comfortable I think. No sense messing with what works.