Covering the clutch

[Cider]

I cover the clutch with two fingers simply because I cover the brake with two fingers and my brain prefers symmetry.  Seriously, though, it's just habit and it feels weird to do otherwise.

He said that during races on the straight, he would just put one or two fingers on the left bar and hold the throttle open with his thumb and forefinger on his right.  It would force him to relax for those few precious moments...

Ienatsch suggested something similar: he recommended resting your chest on the tank, taking a deep breath, and relaxing a few seconds before turn 1 (or turn whatever on the back straight).

[yotogi]

I too occasionally suffer from the "newbie death grip", especially when doing low speed stuff when it messes me up the most.

"relax, relax, relax"

[tcspeedfreak]

i tend to hold my hand over the clutch the only reason really is comfort in my wrists and hands from my bike not quite being set up right for me ( im picking at that problem though) for whatever reason it just feels better for me but it does cause me to release that death grip on the bars and use more of the palmish area between the thumb and the index finger to control the bike on the flats

[Jarvicious]

i tend to hold my hand over the clutch the only reason really is comfort in my wrists and hands from my bike not quite being set up right for me ......

Are you on the tall side?  I had the same problem and ended up rotating my brake/clutch levers down quite a ways the week after I got my bike.  Cyclists are notorious for that kind of probem where they'll find alternate ways of gripping the bars in an attempt to alleviate the pain caused by improper lever position.  You want the levers positioned down far enough so that your wrists aren't bent upward at an awkward angle, but not so far down to where you have to rotate your wrists down just to reach the levers with your fingertips.  I'd get the levers adjusted (5 minute job) before you start making adjustments in how you ride. 

That being said, when I started riding I had a tendency to use all four fingers to grip both the clutch and the brake lever.  A few thousand miles later and it feels really realy odd to grab on with anything more than my index and middle finger, which is really all you need.  I tend to ride with my hands wrapped directly around the bar for the most part unless I'm in a fair amount of traffic or in the twisties.  You may try practicing your emergency stops by hitting both the brakes and the clutch (which you should do anyway) just to get your left hand used to the quick feeling. 

[tcspeedfreak]

Are you on the tall side?  I had the same problem and ended up rotating my brake/clutch levers down quite a ways the week after I got my bike.  Cyclists are notorious for that kind of probem where they'll find alternate ways of gripping the bars in an attempt to alleviate the pain caused by improper lever position.  You want the levers positioned down far enough so that your wrists aren't bent upward at an awkward angle, but not so far down to where you have to rotate your wrists down just to reach the levers with your fingertips.  I'd get the levers adjusted (5 minute job) before you start making adjustments in how you ride. 

well im about 6' and 225lbs, but that makes perfect sense i guess i will have to try that this spring when i can get the bike back on the road for trial and error purposes.  [moto]

[Capo]

I adjust the position of my levers by sitting on the bike and gripping the bars, I extend my fingers out keeping the palms in contact with the grips, the outstretched fingers should be level  top of the levers.
Another good reason to remove the pins that Ducati fits to fix the position of the levers.

[corndog67]

After years of dirt bikes, I always have a couple of fingers, sometimes only one, on the clutch and the brake, and generally use the clutch like I do on a dirtbike.