Stevieg, have you tried a Gardiner pole?
I didn't like the wrap over clamps either. However, once I tried a Gardiner pole I was hooked. I've been wfp now for eight years and boy have I had some bad poles in that time. All of them bar the first one, which was the worst pole by far, had the inline type clamps. I liked the way the operated by they needed constant adjusting to maintain their grip and within a short time wore out. None of those original poles lasted longer than a year. I went through four poles in two years, then found Gardiners. Haven't looked back. Been brilliant. I have an SL-X 18, it's my workhorse and a 25 for my occasional longer reach stuff. Clamps no longer bother me as they work so well