Hi Mike,
the swirls are more likely caused by the use of a drying blade tbh. a nice, soft drying towel like this will be much kinder to the paintwork;

http://www.seriousperformance.co.uk/...oView_554.html

(got four of them myself).
do you have a pressure washer, or do any sort of pre-wash before touching the car (snow foam with a foam lance)? if not, this is a worth while step to reduce the risk of swirls being inflicted and it'll also help shift the crap that'll be on the roads in the coming months. claying the car is also a worth while step IMO, and only needs doing twice a year really. the meguiars three step range is good but the wax isn't very durable, if it's a durable wax you want I'd look at collinite 476 (which is detergent proof so it'll withstand many washes)
with careful washing, you should only need to polish a few times a year really

kev