michblue,
Loose!
Basically, if you tip your head forward, the bottom part of the mask should fall away from your chin a couple of inches.
The rationale has to do with the way the mask is designed to protect your noggin'. It's not just the "cushioning" effect of the pads, but the ability to absorb and disperse the force (i.e., mass*velocity) of the ball.
The mask is designed to "spin" on impact, thereby preventing the force from being transferred directly to your skull. If you have the straps too tight, you defeat the design and the majority of the force gets transferred to your skull, causing your brain to bounce around inside your skull and your upper spine to experience "whiplash".
As in all things, do as you think best.
JM
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