At the balance point for faster playing is good for now but there are times when you have to cross quickly elsewhere in the bow length. The balance point is good because the bow is "in neutral". It is not resisting your commands as you cross. It is also easy to play on, off or semi-off the string strokes here. The bow and hair are springiest at the middle but control is more difficult and dynamic range becomes more limited.
Between skidding when you use too much bow and grunting when you don't use enough there is a range of bow width that gives you a musical sound when bowing on the string. I like to feel the hair grip the string at the beginning of each movement/note and time the end of each movement/note to coincide with resting on the next string. So that you "pull" a down bow and "push" an up bow.
Each style of bowing tends to have its own speed range where it works best. Hard on the string works at any speed as long as the bow length alters proportionately. Jogging or semi-off the string works nicely for Haydn/Mozart 8th notes at the balance point but spiccato and sautille move out towards the middle as notes get faster. Then ultimately you are forced back onto the string again for fastest,clearest, loudest passages with the best possible clarity of articulation.
Perhaps ask yourself each time what you are trying to develop through practicing these patterns. Is it timing and coordination for clean articulation, even-ness of attack, rhythmic control, different bowing styles, etc?
Wishing you lots of fun.
DP
