I started with the hori pad then upgraded to a V3-Sa (I didn't find the HORI FC3P pad that bad). It still doesn't feel as natural as a pad since I use a different grip and button layout depending on who I am playing as.
For characters who I use back-dash a lot I just use a talon(?) grip with my middle, index, and thumb and place them at the very top of the stick, slightly tilted to the left so the end of my middle finger is more centered. I double tap with my middle finger to back-dash.
My biggest issue with switching to stick was getting ghost 7's and 9's whenever I did half circles, this was mostly an issue when I tried using the more popular wine glass grip and I have found that I am more precise when I control it from the top.
As for button layout I primarily play GG so I set it up as shown in the first post but with and switched, both handled by my ring finger (so its not 1:1), I only use my pinkie for shortcuts
I'm no arcade stick guru but is strategy worked for me so give it a shot if nothing else works. Give each style enough time and eventually you will figure out what works best for you. GOOD LUCK XD