I say the best way to pick up a snake is low, fast, and "small". Grabbing a snake from above gives it the idea of your hand being a predator, as most predators come from above (ie. birds, almost all animals). When you go in with your hand low, it seems to give the snake a sense of security, as well as a sall feeling of dominance. Going in fast gives the snake less time to think about any of the things, and pretty much catches it by surprise. When you go in "small", as I word it, you are trying to make your hand as small as possible, so that the snake isn't afraid of the big monster that just leaped into its environment. This means that you aren't trying to give the snake a high-five, but rather trying to grab it with two or three fingers. For a small snake that pulls back and looks like it's about to bite, quickly scoop it right up in your palm. For a larger snake that pulls back and is about to strike, go under it's head and try to grab the body of the snake.
When you try to grab a snake, do not grab it by either the neck or the tail. This is where predators often strike, and these parts are also the snake's most sensitive ones, that often stimulate a jerking away response when touched. The best thing to do is grab the center most part of the body.
That's all I got on this subject. These things have helped me get a hold of Flame, who was a big biter when I first got him, as well as catch lots of local snakes.
