Totally agree. I'm still a newb and I hang my strop from a towel rack that is almost chest high. I hold it with my left hand at a about the level of just above my belly button. Check out the video at "The Superior Shave" It helped me some.
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Being a newb myself, I have my strop set about chest high as well. When I first started stropping, I was holding the razor on the far end of the tang, closest to the scales and I found I just couldn't rotate/control it well. I later moved my fingers all the way to where the stabilizer of the blade is and I found I could rotate it much faster and easier if my fingers where there, try that. I do recommend a hanging strop, if you go slow, you won't nick it. The only time I nicked mine was when I got the urge to speed up when I wasn't supposed to. Also, you can practice on the linen side before venturing onto the leather side.
The best height for me to hang a strop is halfway between my navel and my nipples. This gives me a comfortable stroke that feels fairly natural to the elbows and wrists.
Something I've done with a paddle strop is put the handle end on a counter and support the wide end in my off hand. That allows it to rock the way a hanging strop is free to. I agree with the original post that a stropping surface laying flat on a leg, a tabletop, or a counter feels unnatural. I agree that it's hard to get a good motion going relative to that position.