At one time I did not like wide, circular strikes. When I learned Wing Chun they used to tell us that circular strikes are slow.
However, if this is true why is it that many styles use circular strikes?
Once I took a closer look then I discover that a circular strike can move just as fast as a linear strike. It is a matter of how you apply it.
You do need to train to do wide movement first to get the power before you minimize the outer movements so that you can move more efficiently.