@Steve W. , comments are always welcome.
I'll start the reply by saying that there has been a
lot of discussion on this and other TSC-related topics over the years. There's a lot more to the comments below than what I'm willing to type (and probably what most people would even want to read). So, please don't think that I'm being flippant...
Speed switches are not allowed at certifications. As you mentioned, it
is a specialized competition technique. And that isn't the goal at the certs.
The TSC is, however, a competition (between yourself and your previous scores and/or between other people... depending on why each person participates and in which division)... which makes specialized competition technique a valid option.
You may value fewer hand switches (a totally valid viewpoint) while others may value a specialized technique that allows them to switch hands "on the fly" (also a totally valid viewpoint). In both cases, the point is to put up higher numbers than in other situations. We've decided that that is acceptable in the context of the TSC.
There does have to be
some type of standard, hence the "free hand may not touch the leg or assist the lift in any way" rule. Beyond that (or, even, including that) we could have endless discussion about the pros & cons of various techniques.