In the Cochin case you're holding "at" the VOR, so wait until overhead then immediately turn to make good the outbound track..certainly don't delay otherwise there's a danger of putting yourself outside the holding area and/or as Mach has pointed out, utterly confusing yourself
Agree. Instrument rated candidates from a certain 'sausage machine" flying school were being checked for basic instrument flying ability prior to being considered for a job. A 737 simulator was used. It was noticed that each one would deliberately fly for 15 seconds into the non-holding side of the holding pattern before turning to track parallel to the outbound leg of the holding pattern. Seems that was the way they had been taught by their flying instructors who themselves were just about as inexperienced as their students.
When asked why the magic 15 seconds more or less at 90 degrees to the inbound leg of the holding pattern (Sector One entry or parallel entry), the reason given was that it was easier to intercept the inbound track of the holding pattern; thus avoiding the over-turn that was normally necessary with a parallel entry, to intercept the inbound track to the holding aid.
The fact they were operating in the non-holding airspace with its various ramifications, had never occurred to them. They simply accepted blindly what their instructors told them - which was naive of them.