I actually disagree about Tail Whip; I tend to think of it like an animal wagging its bushy tail right in your face. (Maybe a cat, or something.) It doesn't really hurt, but it gets you to look away for a moment - just long enough to be blindsided by a strong attack.

As for Force Palm, it's probably like the palm smash used in "hard" martial arts like Karate and Tae-Kwon-Do (as opposed to "soft" arts like Kung Fu, which rely on evasion and restraint rather than simply dealing damage). But yeah, it could be considered an open-handed punch, I guess.