Thanks for that, Dozy. So it wasn't just a quick ride to tick the boxes.
All the same I think a gliding background, especially the intensive practice in launch failure that should be covered before solo on a winch launch, must be a good background for understanding "what is it doing now!?" The stick is moved steadily back during the launch, but if the cable breaks, and you neglect to move the stick forward for the recovery, a stall and spin is likely.