I mostly use hooks for turning off a snake's feeding response. With uppity bloods, I find it easier to just scoop them up from underneath in one smooth motion, and then keep the snake facing away from me. If the animal starts to turn, I turn in the same direction it does, keeping its face pointing away. Usually this keeps the snake distracted enough for me to do whatever I need to get done in handling the animal (i.e. transferring to a holding tub for maintenance, etc).
I'll use the same method for brief but more frequent interaction with a snake that needs a little extra attention in terms of settling down/getting used to handling. They don't need to be held for hours on end in order to tame down...just handled frequently & correctly so they can learn good habits.
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