Grip.
Do you use and under hand grip or over hand?
I feel I can lift more with over hand but it doesn't seem to concentrate the strain in the middle of my back. Where the under hand grip forces you to keep you elbows in.
What are your opinions?
Also, should you try and get you back as close to parallel to the ground as possible or is a 45degree angle better?
When I did them I did them with over hand and my body was in about the 47.2576 degrees :P 45 is fine.
You can vary it depending on what YOU NEED out of it.
Koing
I prefer to have my back parrallel to the ground because of the greater range of motion for rowing. Most people in the gym stand very close to completely upright, move the bar very little and look like they are trying to hump the bar.
Thanks for the input.
HK: As serious as you are about lifting, I wouldn't be surprised if you had the angle of you back maesured!
Be sure to keep your back flat(or even arched a little), and bend at the waist.