[Tannhauser]

I do a lot of paused bench, or at least I do when I'm benching.

When you start pausing, without the stored elastic energy, the movement feels horrible. I agree with Faz that lowering as fast as you can, while keeping safe, is the best policy for a powerlifter. And as Hazz says, hold it there tightly. Don't relax or let it sink into the chest.

Just persist with it and it will start feeling more natural. You're never going to get the oomph that you get from a touch and go, but you can certainly narrow the gap between the two styles.