In the many states in America in which school corporal punishment is still utilized, there are various positions used when a young lady receives a paddling.
Being bent over a desk in the school principal’s office is one of the most common. For paddlings that occur in the hallway, being administered by a teacher, high school students are often required to grab their ankles or put their hands on their knees.
When a heavy wooden school paddle is being used, the young lady should indeed be bent in some way, as it raises her tailbone and gets it out of the way for the paddling.
A quite unique position that is used less often is the lunge position. This position serves many purposes and is quite effective. When a serious lesson must be taught and a severe paddling is required, this position allows the young lady more stability with her stance. If she was simply grabbing her ankles, an extra hard swat with the paddle could knock her forward. In the lunge position her hands are on the ground and it would be very difficult for her to fall forward, even with the largest paddle and hardest swing.
When laying over a desk and a serious swat is applied to her 18 year old bottom, it is almost standard reaction to put the hands back. This poses a safety issues as we would never want to strike her hands with the paddle. With her hands on the floor supporting much of her weight, it makes it impossible for her hands to get in the way during her paddling.
Another reason is that the position is quite uncomfortable and does not allow her to relax the slightest bit before, during, or after her paddling. Nothing reminds a young lady of her actions prior to a school paddling than having to assume the lunge position and stick her tight bottom high into the air for a paddling.