I have always had a weird pick grip (pictured at left). Maybe four years into playing guitar, I realized it was not standard (standard grip has the index finger curled in), but I didn’t want to change because the standard grip just doesn’t feel like it sticks to the strings as much as I’d like.
I talked to my friend Jon who had the same weird pick grip, but he changed early. So, 28 years into guitar playing, I thought maybe I should try changing, especially because there’s a chance a new grip could lower the cumulative stress on my hand. (Not much since I don’t play that much, though, as a percentage of total hand use.)
Today, I tried not the standard grip, but my old grip, plus an additional finger on the pick. AKA the James Hetfield grip. It was really easy to adjust to, and it did feel like I could be more relaxed. It’ll be a while before I’ll know if it’s better or worse for me, but I am pleased that it wasn’t hard to make the change.