Well close to 20 years exp. with wool pads and foam pads and teaching people how to use rotorys I have seen people come close to doing more damage faster with foam pads than wool pads.
On medium to severe scratches, swirls, and blemishes, a foam pad just won't cut it. A wool pad just cuts and turns the paint into a smooth sheet of glass. It also depends on which polish/compound you use also. I have used a lot of compounds and the only one that I like is "Presta ultra cutting creme light". It works extremely well on defects and polishes out to an extreme glossy defect free surface. However, you will need to go over it again with a pc and a lc white pad with a finish polish. Well worth it! Sometime foam will just not cut it on some paints. I have had some finishes that had marks in the paint and not even a yellow lc foam would do anything, even 1 hour per fender. Rotory with wool-60 seconds per panel, then 3 minutes with a pc and a white lc pad and a finish polish (menzerna 106ff, zpc, or whatever you choose). Under 5 minutes per panel for a show car finish!
People are scared to use wool. It's not the wool that is scary, it is the compound or polish that some use. 3m and megs is meant for pro's and does not break down fast enough for a beginner and then woops a burn through. Presta makes a great polish for wool/foam that breaks down fast and turns to gloss fast.
Menzerna is an awesome polish for foam pads, but does not like wool pads as it clumps and jumps around. Op and OC just marr the surface bad with wool pads and leaves a nasty haze, but on foam they finish good. Like I said, you need the right product with wool. Take it from my experience and trying hundreds of products. I just needed to clear this up for everyone!
A wool is meant to cut and a foam is meant to polish and finesse!
Any questions anyone just ask.
Thanks
Ryan