Let’s talk about bending.
I teach my students to have their thumb in the back of the neck to play a lot of different things – legato, picking, etc.
But when it comes to bending, it’s important to have your thumb over the top of the neck to act as a sort of winch and help pull the bend up.
It’s also important to use supporting fingers. If you’re leading a bend with the 3rd finger, it’s important to have 1st and 2nd behind in their respective frets pushing the bend up as well.
If you’re leading a bend with the 4th finger, it’s important to have 1st, 2nd and 3rd behind in their respective frets pushing the bend up, too.