Ed, here is my way of using a monopod, originally posted in another thread:

The following is not the only way to use a monopod, maybe even not the best, but it works for me and many professionals I know. If you have a camera with only an LCD screen and no viewfinder, this set of instructions will not work for you; you must have a viewfinder. The instructions below are written as though this was THE way to use a monopod. I hope some of you find them useful:

To begin, you must have a head on your monopod that will allow you to tilt your camera forward. The monopod should be long enough so that, when fully extended, the optical or electronic viewfinder of your camera, on the tilt head on your monopod is slightly higher than your eye, that's right higher. Now stand with your feet approximately shoulder with apart with both feet flat. Position the monopod approximately one foot in front of the toes of your shoes and centered on your body. Now, here's where the tilt head comes in. Tilt the monopod backward toward your face and, at the same time, tilt the camera forward so it remains level. Without bending your knees, lean forward so a small portion of your weight is on the monopod. Adjust the distance of the monopod in front of you (and, at the same time, adjust the tilt of the camera) so that when you lock your eye into the viewfinder, you are leaning forward slightly. The monopod and your two legs should form a TRIPOD. The last word in the previous sentence, the one in all caps is the secret to using the monopod. Quite simply, the monopod is not a vertical support of your camera, it is the third leg of a highly effective tripod. Good luck!
------------Originally Posted 05/28/2013