Quote Originally Posted by Glewas
I understand the reasoning for the overhand grip, but I've never really understood facing of the hand holding the spear. In EB and in at least one Greek painting, (I sure there are more out there), the palm faces inward. To me this seems possibly a stronger grip, but sacrifices extension and maybe some power. However I doubt it takes much force for a sharp spear to stab or cut exposed flesh...

With the palm facing outward the grip doesn't seem as strong, but the spear can be extended more with greater force, as the arm can fully extend and still keep the spear tip at head/neck level. Whereas as with the inward grip, the further the arm extends the more the tip points to the ground...

Also it seems that the inward grip might conserve more energy per thrust, and the outward grip would allow you to go from overhand to underhand, provided there was room, fairly easily as the grip doesn't change.

Any thoughts?
To me it sounds - and seems and feels, merely by holding out my hand and twisting it in various ways - like that an overhand grip with the palm outwards would not be a good idea. It seems to put the wrist joint in a quite uncomfortable position, and I suspect trying to deliver a strong stab like that, nevermind with extension, would put the somewhat fragile internals of the joint in rather dire risk of damage.

The overhand-inward grip, however, is essentially the same as the tried-and-true "icepick" grip that can be used with knives and other short blades to good effect, bringing fairly considerable power to bear in the downward arc of the arm - with built-in gravity assist to boot. Indeed it is in fact employing the arm itself as a (rather limited) lever and therefore force multiplier.