Perhaps the greatest benefit of being able to throw whips is being able to "get it back".  Because one day you may have to "de-whip" a bike you never meant to whip in the first place !! 

Yes, you must "de-whip" the bike.  It does not happen magically.  But once you learn this important skill you will soon apply it to other situations.   For example:  big "floater" airs:  80 feet plus.  Hit them straight on and the bike just pops up there, hangs out, for a LONG time, and floats to the landing ramp.  A simple a jump as there is. But IF the bike did not leave the ramp properly then even if the slightest side forces were induced into the rear of the bike (by a tiny rut on takeoff or rider error even) then the back of the bike will begin to drift out and out and out.   Now a tiny error has been magnified by 80 feet of flight time into a bike that is now impossible to land (without that big high side crash on your rebound).  But this is where your "whip" skills are needed most.  If you know what whips are about you just "de-whip" the bike in mid air.  So a potential disaster is now a nothing event.  

Sometimes I hear spectators commenting about the risks that advanced riders are taking on big jumps.  Generally, they are not taking any risks at all because the more air an advanced rider has (especially those big floater airs) the more time the rider has to correct any problem with the takeoff.  So its the reverse to more advanced riders.  Its those little gnarly jumps, with no hang time to allow for mid-air corrections, that are the real hazards. 

So I always advise new riders that before they pop the big air its best to at least be able to whip and de-whip the bike laterally (even if only a few degrees).  That habit, when instinctive, will save you a lot of crashes.  Oh, and I almost forgot.   You do know all about wind deflection don't you?  Sometimes all you have between yourself and eternity (if you failed to note wind speed and direction before busting out big air on any given riding day) is your ability to de-whip the bike.  Again, you could have done everything perfect but you forgot about the wind.