Another "recovery" maneuver that involves the release of the control stick is one done in gliders, known as the benign spiral. This maneuver is considered to be the safest way of recovering in a glider when one has found themselves above a hole-free cloud layer or inside a cloud. My club teaches this maneuver as part of initial glider pilot training, though it is not (yet) part of the US FAA Glider Practical Test Standards.
The steps my club recommends are:
- Full spoilers
- Trim slightly aft (Other references suggest 1.5 times the stall speed)
- Hands off stick
- Feet off rudders
The effect of this maneuver is the glider will settle into a gentle spiral with a roughly constant (and not load-exceeding) airspeed and altitude loss. The maneuver is also taking advantage of the aerodynamic stability mentioned in other answers which is inherent in most (all?) modern gliders.
Here are some additional sources that discuss this maneuver:
- Scottish Gliding Centre's Airfield Procedures, Page 17 - 18
- This post, which quotes "Transition to Gliders, A Flight Training Handbook for Power Pilots" by Thomas L. Knauff.
Another important point about benign spirals is that they don't necessarily work in all gliders/configurations/situations. As Knauff said in his discussion:
WARNING: Not all sailplanes are stable in this mode. Sailplanes with all-flying tails or with flaps only for glide path control, probably will not perform a safe benign sprial. Even different sailplanes of the same type may react differently with different weights or center of gravity locations.
