Honestly, "less painful" is an understatement. I used to just white-knuckle it and rotate way too fast, which was a guaranteed burn every single time. Loosening up my grip and letting the punty itself do more of the work was a total game changer for me.
Totally! @christopher386 is onto something huge with that loose grip. I found my sweet spot was moving my fingers further back from the heat, almost letting the punty just rest in my hand. It lets the piece's own weight help with the turn so you don't fight it.