I put a few sandpaper dots on my templates. You want it to stay put, but do need it to slide a little so you can position it correctly. It does take practice. I use a lot of circles and found the DeLoa circle buster templates are great:
http://www.deloasquiltshop.com/deloa...clebuster.html
Because of the shape, you can use it on the right or the left, top or bottom.
Also, did you have your template extension table on your machine? Using a template bigger than about 3" without one is actually dangerous!