It is totally personal preference, I would do some practicing before hand, take a couple of practice sandwiches different sizes and see what works the best for you, When using the small machine I prefer using the side of my foot as a guide to how far I am away I am, there is usually different styles of the same foot if you don't like the one that you are using, watch more where you are going to where you have been, and relax, take some deep breaths and relax, the more you relax the smoother you will be, and practice, practice lots,