hovering a collective pitch heli is like trying to stand on a basketball. You have to learn to correct before the heli moves. Constant, small inputs. Now that we do 3D with fixed wing, its very much like trying to torque roll an airplane. I think hovering an airplane is easier than hovering a heli, whereas doing a TR seems about the same. Anyway, Lots of folks say side in is more difficult than nose in. The reason being you can't easily see when you need to make a left right cyclic input, so its harder to stay ahead of the heli. This too, gets easier over time. I was helping a guy with nose in today and told him to "sneak up on it" meaning forward flight into the nose in position and then hold it for a few seconds and fly out, continuing the turn. Slowly increase the time you stay in nose in. I know you should be able to do nose in before forward flight, but I think its easier this way. Just slow, gentle circles, pausing at nose in. You need plenty of room to do this, which goes back to the benifits of having plenty of room to learn in. Years ago, once I could hover tail in and side in, I just jumped into forward flight and then got nose in from there. If you're patient enough to get all four upright orientations before forward flight that's best. Orientation is the most important thing in learning helis. I just learned upright and inverted backwards flight this winter. Talk about a brain teaser!