Hand placement and finger positioning for steadicam gimbal operation

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2015Steadi-Newbies forum

Thumb and index finger should be positioned opposite each other on the gimbal, held relatively high, with remaining fingers spread down the gimbal post and pinky near the bottom to provide counter-pendulum control during move starts and stops.
A relaxed grip using more finger surface area on the post rather than fingertips provides better control, even though the thumb position may naturally drift from the ideal position during operation.
Wrist position should remain straight rather than bent to maintain proper control throughout the shot.
Hand grip should be continuously adjusted during shooting to anticipate and prepare for the next part of the shot, with fingers moving on the post for framing and correction as needed.
Using more of the palm and finger surface area in contact with the post, rather than relying only on fingertip pressure, improves overall control and technique.

This advice comes from forum discussion rather than formal instruction, though it references standard steadicam handbooks and instructional videos.
The original poster was unable to attend in-person workshops for proper demonstration, relying instead on self-teaching from reference materials and community feedback.