Hey Ben,
Yeah, that is interesting that you have had such luck with striking the ball clean from a sand trap. Generally, all of the things you mention above are techniques taught to escape sand traps with success.
Even though you have experienced success hitting the ball clean, there is no doubt that catching sand first is going to provide better results over time. It may be hard or awkward to you right now, but practicing will help a lot.
One thing I like to keep in mind on these shots is my back swing. Personally, I like to take a real wide back swing, not really going up. By doing this I am swinging the club underneath the ball and not really downward at your target. I think of it as "sweeping" the ball out. It is important to flatten out your clubface when hitting this shot so it does not close your face when it hits sand first. I hope this makes sense.
I learned a lot about sand play and other
golf short game practice
stuff at http://golfshortgamepractice.com. You can see lots of free and useful tips and drills there.
See ya round~
Josh