Sure, but that can be a problem no matter what school of stroke is being used. SPF instructors teach techniques to keep the wrist and grip loose throughout the stroke. The Pause is just a part of the equation. Every player does break down at some point, though, whether it's through a lack of concentration, or nervousness, or being tired, or whatever. Often, tightening the grip and locking the wrist, or turning the wrist, is the root cause of a miss, but that can happen regardless of stroke technique.
Not necessarily conscious - we don't really want conscious thought during the stroke. Through repetition and practice, the pause should become part of a routine, just like players who don't have a "pause" have made that a part of their routines.
I don't think there's an end all/be all. I don't think there's anything wrong with "fast and loose" (as we're using the term here) as long as the player is consistent with it. I would never teach someone to shoot in the style of KM, but he's done damn good with it because he's consistent with it. One of the big benefits of adhering to SPF is that it has built-in checks for when things go wrong (and they will go wrong; like I said, we all break down) to identify and correct those things. For players who haven't sought instruction, it's usually difficult to figure out where the break down occurs and self-diagnose. For an SPF player, that's a relatively easy thing.
-djb
