This question has often crossed my mind. I guess not, as no-one seems to have ever mentioned it. Perhaps they developed their technique on the basis of prior experience. This would explain the differing style employed by the Headmaster and two senior masters authorised to cane at my school, which resulted in somewhat different sensations. This caused frequent arguments about which of them was the harder caner and consequently which of them we would least want to be caned by.
I also wonder whether their were ever discussions between the head teacher and those senior staff (s)he authorised to use the cane about them being too severe or too lenient?