I've seen a couple of times in this thread that Sticks won't do pattern aerobatics, which might imply that they aren't good to learn pattern with. But they aren't half bad for it actually. With meticulous flight trimming and the CG back, sticks are pretty neutral handling planes. A very experienced pattern pilot in my club likes to fly SPA events with his stick, and his slow rolls go for about 600 feet at roughly 4 feet of altitude (no, that's not a typo) with no heading changes. Sure, Sticks aren't as good a Kaos or a Skylark for precision maneuvers and they won't snap or spin worth a darn, but they are perfectly adequate for learning the vast majority of maneuvers even up to winning SPA events in the lower classes.