If you drill 0 lateral, there's a chance that the fingerholes will meet at the bottom, creating a weakpoint. So generally these pitches are set so that the holes miss each other. As far as forward/reverse goes, it comes down to comfort, as a rule, more forward = more revs, however, it depends on how stiff/flexible your fingers are as to how much forward pitch you can use.
I have very stiff fingers, and have 1/2" and 3/4"reverse on them, that said I don't have any problems getting revs on the ball with this setup.
As a rule of thumb (or should that be finger..) if the pitches you use are comfortable and don't cause any physical injury (loss of sensation, pins and needles, bruising, good old fashioned pain) then leave them alone. If you want to play around then you can but bear in mind the ill effects which can occur...
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Reporting from England
