I've been running a Grove RT550 for about 4 years now and always used the same tagline knot I learned from an old hand. Last month a foreman named Dave at the Port of Tacoma watched me take a pick and just said "you're choking yourself out, kid." Turned out I was putting the eye through the wrong side of the loop every single time, damn near causing a bind on every lift. Any other operators have a basic thing they did wrong for years without knowing?
That "choking yourself out" thing is a brutal habit to break. I've seen guys do it for years because some old timer showed them wrong and they never questioned it.
Wait, is it really that bad if it keeps your hand placement tight and stops you from getting armbarred in the scrambles? Sometimes a little self-throttle feels better than giving up position just to breathe.