String Bending and 9's

My other assignment (besides the minor scale) is to do a lot more string bending.  I thought I was doing plenty, as it is a cool technique and sounds great (done properly.)  But apparently I could be doing plenty more.

Most of the bending I've been doing has been half-tone bends (i.e., one fret.)  But now I'm also supposed to be doing whole-tone (two-fret) and three-fret bends.  I was able to do whole-tone bends in the lesson (more easily on the upper frets than on the lower), but three-fret bends were near impossible.

Part of the reason was finger strength, which I can work on.  But part of it was string gauge.  My Tele had standard 0.010 gauge strings.  I've been reading debates on the message boards about the pros and cons of going to thinner strings (0.009 gauge, or "nines.")  Since I was due for a string change anyway, I decided to try a set of nines.

I re-strung about ten days ago, and I can tell the difference.  Whole-tone bends are easier, and I can manage the three-fret bend, although it's still not easy.  I guess finger strength is the other part of the equation.

I haven't seen any downsides to the thinner strings.  But we'll see.  When I took the Epiphone into the shop 10 days ago, I asked them to re-string with nines also.

Beyond the details of how to bend, there's the question of when (i.e., which notes.)  And that comes back to the scales.