A barber friend of mine who is 4th generation barber told me to use short 3-4 " back and forth strokes and make sure it's against the grain of your beard. Then use a paint motion to get off excess lather and smooth the lather out. I find it works very well and I don't put as much pressure on the brushes. I still think if you are using a good soap or cream you could use your hand and get a good results. Barbers do it so how bad can it be?