The only time I can strap to strap is when duck gybing...
the step sequence is too well-drilled into me for normal gybes!
I went through the "Footwork is too hard, so maybe strap to strap is easier" phase as well, and didn't end up learning it. What cracked it for me was learning to do the rig flip in a boom-to-boom fashion (no grabbing the mast) with my eyes closed on the beach. Yes, really with your eyes closed. Like, eyes shut, can't see anything.
Once you can do that, you can gybe while concentrating on the feet, so then it all becomes automatic