Tip Down
I'm pretty confused much of the time. For a year and a half, I carried tip down exclusively. THen, became a Spyderco fan, and have had to learn to deal with tip up. I have to admit that tip up was easier to learn than I expected, and that I like it better than tip down, except for my CRKT M16 -- that flipper makes a real difference.
I use a thumb/index finger pinch on the butt end of the knife. Of course, the nature of the clip placement determines whether that end is above or below the pocket edge. As the knife clears the pocket, I sort of roll my remaining fingers under/around the knife and into the palm of my hand, while the knife rotates between my thumb and finger, until the thumb is pointing towards 12:00. I sort of gather the lower handle with my pinky and ring finger as I change the position of the knife from the original position from which it leaves the pocket.
Once into a good grip, the thumb then moves over to the left (on right-handed knife) to the thumbstud. I push the thumbstud up towards the pivot end of the knife. Hardly outward at all. Once the blade is locked open, then the grip must be shifted until in a comfortable, appropriate grip.
The drawback to the tip down, as I see it, is that the initial grip uses only 2 digits. On tip up, where the thumb had been inserted deep into the pocket, the fingers grasp the knife as it emerges from the pocket. Much less shifting of grip is necessary to get the blade open and locked. Then, much like the other draw, the knife must be shifted to another, more appropriate grip.
I would guess that your "dropsy" of the knife has something to do with the 2-digit grip/pinch. The second thumbstud may be catching on the lip of your pocket. Much as I love them, some of CRKT's knives really are troublesome in this area. Can slow one down, perhaps fatally. But, if one is using the same knife all the time, and not rotating with any regularity, then it all becomes muscle memory/habit.
Speaking only of my own copy of the EDC, the detente ball is super strong. Too strong. Hard to get the blade moving, then it jerks almost all the way open. If yours has the same problem, that could be causing some drops.
Given the metal handles, don't quite understand why 2 sets of holes weren't used, giving users the option, or at least ambidexterity.