welderdude , depends on what you are doing , what are you welding ? what codes are you welding to ? if you are practicing you can do many things , but if you are doing code work you must follow the procedure . if you don't someone else will probably be doing the welding . i think it would be good for you to practice doing all types of techniques to see what works best for you , then try to do that type of welding . i try to do different types to keep in practice , because i still do many types of welding ,    mostly in the field . i'm shure others will chime in . keep us posted on how you do we may all learn something . if your not doing code work it some times can lead to bad habits which are sometimes hard to break . good luck . willie