What do people mean when they say "adjust the control throws?" They always talk about adjusting the throws to make the plane wild or docile. Just curious what this means, thanks!

If you adjust the position of the clevis on the control horn you will increase or decrease the amount of deflection the control surface moves. The more it moves the wilder the plane gets.

Move the clevis towards the control surface to get more throw.

Move it away from the control horn to get less throw.

And the opposite way on the servo horns. Moving the clevis/control rod to a hole nearer the center of the servo lessens the throw and moving the clevis/control rod to a hole further away from the center of the servo increases the travel.

and its just the opposite when you move the pushrod on the servo arm.

move it away from the servo and you get more movement
move it closer to the servo and you get less.

also if you have a computer radio you can adjust the movement just by using your radio setup
you can go more one way and less the other and with expo you can make it have more or less movement in the beginning of stick movement or more or less in the final movement of the stick[&:]

getting confused yet?

So would a beginner be good putting the control arm in the hole closest to the servo on that end and furthest from the surface on the other end? Thanks.

OIt sepends on how much throw that gives you.

A beginner should set it up the way the manual tell you. They generally tell you how much deflection you should have.

If they don't, start out with about 3/8" and see if you want more or less, and adjust accordingly

IMO a beginner should stick with the control throws recommended by the manufacturer. You have to set up the controls then measure the amount of throw and compare that to what is recommended for your kit.

As you gain experience, or after a flight or two, you can adjust the throws to meet personal preference within reason.