I agree with the above poster that the gloves may really help you out. Stippling is still a pain in the rear for me and I free motion just about every quilt I make! LOL* It's actually really tough to get nice even stitching and keep from crossing over your lines! I think the loopy meander would be a great way to go to get practice. Once you've done a whole quilt of meandering you'll probably be ready to do something that requires a little more control.
Why on earth do they suggest stippling for starting out? LOL* I agree with the poster that said, "stippling is much harder than it looks!"
Also, I don't know what kind of machine your using but I'm using a very basic one. Mine has speeds and I generally set it on medium to keep me from running way from myself. Some of these ladies who do amazing work not only have a lot of practice under their belt, but they often have stitch regulating machines which can make a HUGE difference. I wish I had it!!! ;) Don't give up! :)