When I got my first set of poles (Rossignol BC Access), they didn't come with instructions, so I put my hand in from the top, hit the trail, and I have been using them that way ever since.

I recently saw a BD video in which they suggest to put your hand in from the bottom of the straps, which seems to be the technique described in several webpages as well. So I tried it, but it seems to squeeze the ball of my hand rather than provide a sling for it, and I don't particularly care for this. Maybe I would get used to it, I don't know.

What about you? Do you put your hands in your straps through the top or from the bottom? Do you have a preference, and if you do, why?