Shrug all you want but it does work. I'm not pushing 3" drills through tough steel in one step like we used to do on the massive lathes at the forge tool and die shop.I have responded to this as well.
I served my apprenticeship at a major lathe manufacture, I not only learned to machine but I also built brand new lathes, the last three went to the US navy for ship board use.
If the engineers thought this was a good idea the lathe manufactures would be all over it.
If you look at the physics of it, you would realize why.
PS with my 35+ years in machine building scrapping and field service, I can't tell you how many times I have heard "we have been doing it that way forever have never had any problems" the statement is seldom true....and now I am here to repair what?
As I said before put some indicators on your slide and watch the affect.
MOM said, " you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink"
Now ,I just smile and shrug my shoulders.
Coming from a lathe company you would be laughed out of the buildings for saying it was faster....
I'm pre-drilling to clear the web and there is very little pressure on the drill.
I'm not sure why the rotational forces on the drill are somehow abusive to the machine. Once you clear the web the axial forces are lower with a 1" drill than they were with the 1/4" drill.