First off, I am at work so excuse the fact that I am using a power cord in the pictures.
My non-hand crush technique has the loaded end of the sheet entering the hand from the pinkie side. The hand is then held at 90 degrees to the strain. This would be for the lighter strains.

For heavier loads I pass the line around my thumb and back down through the hand. This places a bight around the thumb and doubles the thickness you are gripping in your hand. If you have to ease sheet, you simply open your hand enough to drop the bight.
I am also using the latex/nitrile coated gardening gloves now. I find that they have excellent grip on the line without having to squeeze the line.