ORIGINAL: CGRetired
Gene: My instructor was (is) a big Pattern person. He drilled into me that "real pattern pilots fly the pinch method".
I used to hear things like that all the time. Then I noticed one day at an event that Quique Somenzini flies thumbs only.
That resolved the argument for me in that it's whatever you feel more comfortable with. Quique does pure magic in the air with an airplane, and he does it with his thumbs only.