I always kept CT on. I hate trimming my plane, have to spend more time messing with it than even looking where I'm going. And then if speed or throttle changes, have to trim all over again. In combat is a little different, you're supposed to be fighting and leave trim alone, just use stick and throttle, but I just don't like my neutral position constantly changing on me. Maybe if I had a force feedback stick I'd squawk something different, but I don't, and I don't want one neither.
Bottom line, both options need practice to get used to, but I prefer to use CT in combat because the needed stick deflection will be the same every time as opposed to entering a fight at whatever the trim happens to be set at.