The main assumption a lot people make when trying to deploy a reserve chute is that it majicaly pops out when you deploy it, but what really happens is that you have to throw it out into the wind and make sure it doesn't wrap around your legs, think of trying to open a bag in front of you and then making sure the wind deploys it correctly.
Funnily enough, never got a main failure once, or did anyone I know, sure there was various instructors that would love to tell you all about the failures they got, but they saved that till you were comitted and ready to go. Black sense of comedy but did lighten the mood all the same!
Don't think I'd ever try the "sport " parachuting to be honest, Just don't see the point, guess it wasn't this guys day so good luck to him.
Quick edit to that, main thing I used to always get is what's called "High twists" that's when you look above you and then kick the oppoosite direction to undo the twists, apart from that, nothing else much really, guess it all depends how tight you are when you leave the aircraft, if your arms are everywhere then you are almost guarranteed big time twists.