I have found it hard to "train leaves" they jsut move back into place.
I am in SCROG so things are a little different but what I have found after about 20 SCROG runs is...
AGRESSIVE lolipop. I go a little nuts, if you have a thin stalk..your gone. period. I usually cut off lots of the lower leaves that are really shaded, they fall off quickly in flower anyways and just start making a mess.
I have a round of upper canopy defoliation a couple days before the flip. I open op the canopy and this promotes more growth in the under canopy. I try to get things to be as even as possible. This is done through leave removal and attempting to balance out the distribution of auxins by pushing the large dominant stems down and pulling the smaller stems up. Auxins are produced in the apical tip of the plant (the growing shoot). They do supress lateral growth but they also encourage shoot growth, which is why I pull the smaller stems up.. to achieve greater growth rates on those stems. This also encourage greter lateral growth on the previously dominant shoot that I pulled under.
from wikipedia... An important principle of plant organization based upon auxin distribution is apical dominance, which means the auxin produced by the apical bud (or growing tip) diffuses (and is transported) downwards and inhibits the development of ulterior lateral bud growth, which would otherwise compete with the apical tip for light and nutrients. Removing the apical tip and its suppressively acting auxin allows the lower dormant lateral buds to develop, and the buds between the leaf stalk and stem produce new shoots which compete to become the lead growth. The process is actually quite complex, because auxin transported downwards from the lead shoot tip has to interact with several other plant hormones (such as strigolactones or cytokinins) in the process on various positions along the growth axis in plant body to achieve this phenomenon. This plant behavior is used in pruning by horticulturists.
Once the stretch is over and SCROG training is over, I go through the canopy and remove any leaves that are "really" blocking light for lower bud sites. (apical bud sites).
Lastly, in the last week or week and a half when nutrition needs begin to decrease I typically remove fan leaves that are blocking buds that need to ripen a little more. Often times in a crowded SCROG some portions of under buds will be pale green..almost yellow. I revmove leaves to help address this situation. I also tend to hit the plants with a round of liquid light at this time to help boost glucose assimulation. (Nutirent levels are also low (400ppm with plenty of fulvic acids (liquid karma and EWC tea) but this is getting a little off topic.
That's just me though. I'm quite certain your results will varry. In addition, It has been very well established that what you do to your plants will have absolutely no impact on the health and yield of my plants.. so if you want to keep all your fan leaves... have at it. Then when you lay your head down to sleep you will knwo that you ahve all your solar panels in place and you never hurt your plants by cutting them with sharp scissors or razor blades. Good karma waves will wash over you and you will just be a better, more natural and well-rounded person.
You just won't have as many nice nugs as I will.