I saw some videos of 3s players from japan and they seem to hold the joystick differently… like kinda upside down if you know what im saying…
there are a thousand threads like this. the proper way to hold the stick is whatever is comfortable, preferably with only one hand. other than that, whatever you want.
Grip it like yo jaunt!
japs hold it like it’s a wine glass…if that makes since.
I hold it like that. Definitely feels the most comfortable to me.
It also depends on what kinda stick it is. The 3s stick at my arcade are those small ones and I use my thumb and my index and middle finger to grip it while my pinky and ring finger are curled in. Well thats the most comfortable as I can get holding those small sticks.
Taken from other thread:
http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/7137/ballalttq8.jpg
http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/3339/blingpv0.png
Just don’t take your hand off the stick after you do motions like new players do. Thing flopping all over the place after a FB and such.
LOL. I love the bling in the 2nd pic. Like someone just got bored while drawing that image.
Lol nice pictures. By the way I do have a question about why players fling their hands off the stick after doing something like a fireball or shoryuken motion.
I don’t usually see players in MVC2 or SF3s flinging their hands off the stick, but when I play KOF2002 and 2003 I see atleast half the players at the cab fling their hands off the stick whenever they go for those low jumps. I just don’t get it 
Or is it a natural reaction in a specific way of them playing?
ask your mom.
It’s more or less a scrub thing. They figure if they fling the controls the motion will come out better. The only time I ever do it is just to add a stylish spin during like the final blow of a match. Otherwise IMO it does nothing other than throw off your execution. Flinging your hand off the joystick makes it so it takes longer to return to neutral and there’s a higher chance you’ll fuck up the move you’re doing or what you may need to do afterwards.
Whatever is comfortable for you, there really isn’t a best way. If you’ve ever been to any tourneys you’ll notice that alot of players grip the stick differently.
Personally, I don’t even grip it, I just kinda rest my hand there. I find it to be much less of a strain during an actual match and helps me focus better. But this is just me, and it may or may not work for you.
In the end, it’s all preference. Just like what kind of stick you use.