I do a fair bit of glassing often with 1/2 oz cloth. After using brushes and credit cards I tried a foam roller and now that is all I use. I can press quite hard and as it is a rolling contact the cloth is not dragged. If need be I can move and flatten cloth by angling the roller slightly as I move it. Rollers work for me.

I make no attempt to clean my rollers. I use a Czech. brand costing about 20cents a roller.