Lather up and run your finger just ahead of your shave stroke to find direction of growth (with lather on it's easier) and shave in your chosen direction; WTG, XTG etc. for that pass. After doing this a few times you'll know your "beard map". For stretching I just tilt my head back as far as I can and still see in the mirror.
Map your beard.
I have to J-Hook on both sides of the Adam's apple and then swallow-and-hold to shave over the Adam's apple.
This is a great topic. Right now I'm still wrapping my head around the fact that above the jaw line everything on my face is symmetrical and has a clearly defined grain. Below the jaw line, nothing is symmetrical and in the bottom inch or so of my beard, every hair seems to have it's own direction.
So, it pays to "map" the way your whiskers grow. Until I learned about that on this forum, I was shaving ATG without knowing it, with dreadful results.
So reduction not removal.Do an initial WTG and then a XTG. Very lightly on each pass. If your good try a ATG. Remember to hover just a tad above the skin. Don't worry for BBS. As long as it looks shaved and neat.
Nice to see you posting, nice advice too.I'm not sure how much this will help others but I usually uses a straight razor now. I state that first as it impacts these next statements. The single best tip I can ever give is map your hair pattern wtg, xtg, and atg. Now with a DE razor or SE just use as light of a touch and let your razor do the work. Secondly only do an ATG pass on your neck every other day at most if you use a DE. Here's another tip instead of doing a ATG pass do a reverse XTG.... (Same as the XTG, but the opposite direction).
Now a straight razor on my neck my hair growth goes from west to east WTG. So this makes shaving ATG or even with the grain very difficult with a straight razor. So here's my tip do again a XTG and reverse XTG which for me is north to south then south to north. That method keeps me at zero irritation and a great 3 way smooth DFS feel. The last tip I can give is also with a straight razor and that is to shave at 45 degree stroked both north to south at 45 degree angles which is similar to a WTG pass then the opposite south to north at 45 degrees east to west similar to a ATG pass..... This works great but there is a bit more risk for irritation. With a DE or SE I or you should be with care able to get s great neck bbs, and even with a straight razor near BBS. Hope that helps someone.