Don't worry you will get the knack of hand starting before long, and the use of a heavy leather glove goes a far way in providing both safety and confidence to give the prop a real good slap.

I found that with my Zenoahs the main thing is the position of the prop. I set my prop at between 8:10 and 9:15 on the clock face facing the engine and when the engine is starting it's compression stroke. A few strong hand flips/slaps all the way thorough the comp stroke and down the backside is all it takes to get them running. This starting action automatically takes your hand away and out of the prop's arc. HTH

Karol