Soft Braking: what is it and when would I use it? 

Soft braking is one of two techniques used by soft starters to shorten motor stopping time. The other technique is DC braking.
Soft braking uses reversing contactors on the input of the soft starter. When the soft starter receives a stop command, it operates the reversing contactors and the motor is effectively soft started in the reverse direction. This applies a braking torque to the load.