Quote Originally Posted by SalsaMTB View Post
The reason I ask this is I don't know your experience level, so I apologize if this seems very basic, but there is a significant difference in feel of shifting to a harder gear with left shifter vs. right shifter. You said it feels like you have to hold the left shifter until it shifts, which I'm not exactly sure what that means, but I do know I have to push my left shifter much further to get into the big chain ring, than I ever push my right. When you use your left shifter to go into your big chainring, the chain has a lot more distance to travel so you have to push the shifter further, takes more effort, and is a bit slower.
Agreed that shifting front derailleur DOES feel different (and is harder) than shifting rear derailleur. In addition to what SalsaMTB said, this is due in part to the fact that the front of the chain is under higher load when pedaling than the rear of the chain, making it harder to shift. Softpedaling for a revolution makes shifting up in front much easier.