Originally Posted by BCDon

I've always positioned the ball of my foot over the pedal spindle. I just go ahead and place the cleat so that this lines up. Then I make sure that my heels are "close" to the crank arms and I can't easily (with the tiny bit of float I have) hit the crank arms with my heels.

I used this on all bikes. When I need a bit of extra power, I "ankle" and that'll get me up and over those nastly little rises.

For anyone who is placing their arches over the pedal spindle, as long as you are not interested in any long distances or maximizing efficiency, go ahead. Although I personally think it looks doofus and identifies you as someone who does not know anything about riding.