It's not just defoliating, it's also taking bud sites off on the bottoms of the colas so that they start higher on the branch. It actually worked for me during my last cycle. I got a better than average yield and almost no larf whatsoever.
I find there's usually a few leafs and some lower growth that does need removing, it's the version of removing 50+% of leafs purely for the sake of removing them I can't get my head around?
When you remove the leaves you get a smaller version that regrows, taking up less canopy. Plus you're opening up tons of airflow and light. I pruned almost every leaf along with the bud sites up to the tips. Then I let it all regrow, and on some of the plants tight buds formed well below the scrog. I've always defoliated lightly to moderately, and thought I may have destroyed them, but they came back furious.
