Struggling with motion controls. is this just how they are?

i've been really looking forward to Skyward Sword, but so far, i'm severely disappointed in the motion controls. i just end up randomly waggling my way to victory. i'm about 8 hours in, and i thought i would be used to it by now. i thought it was getting better, then i entered the earth temple. the lizard dudes are just ridiculous. the only way i've been able to avoid their extremely powerful attacks is to hit them first. the only way i've been successful is with random shaking of the wiimote until i hit it once.

another thing that happens way too often is when i'm fighting these guys, they'll be blocking where my sword is, so i need to get it to the other side. i need to do so quickly or else they'll adjust their block accordingly. i've found it nearly impossible to do so without swinging! even besides those, the combat still descends into random wobbling.

my last complaint isn't as big, but it still annoys me a lot. whenever i use the sling shot and some other items, the center is automatically where i'm pointing the wii remote. this means that (for me) it's incredibly awkward and i have to recenter unless my wii remote is perfectly flat and pointed forward when i use the item.

i'm not a bad gamer, but this game frustrates me. i've played numerous zelda games, and some of the puzzles in this one are just ridiculous. and then the chaotic combat can just be plain unfair. there's lots of little things that pile up and make me want to hurl the controller across the room!

i think it's a beautiful game with a fantastic story and characters. the controls have just proven to be awful so far. is there something i could try to solve these issues?