Okuma Makaira vs Penn Torque

[SoCalAngler]

There is a detent on the cam when going from strike towards full. This detent is there to make sure the lever does not accidentally get moved past strike, like you said it takes some force and that's the reason it is there. Other reels that don't use a detent normally have a button that needs to be pushed in order to move their levers past strike. Either way you have to make a conscious effort to move the lever past strike and that's why the detents or buttons are there.

The ease of travel past strike may loosen some over time, especially if you do move the lever past strike often when fishing (the edges of the cam will wear a bit) but the resistance is there for a reason.

Edit: Post some pics when you catch some fish on your new reel.