There is nothing like having the electrode stick to the metal when you touch the arc to break your focus. When this happens, it seems like everything has come to an abrupt end and if it keeps happening it seems like it is never going to work. The truth is, you aren’t applying too much force or trying too hard, it is usually just a matter of arc length, distance, and current. Most people push the rod down to make sure it makes contact, in welding, however, you have to hold the rod so it just touches the metal for a split second and then arc back up to create a small gap for the arc to maintain itself.
Incorrect angle of the electrode is a culprit here as well. If it’s held too vertical, the hot end will tend to stick to the plate. Tilt it a little, in the direction of travel, and the arc will push the molten puddle ahead, not piling up in one place. It will also be easier to pull the rod away. Still, if it sticks, don’t bear down and twist. Just loosen up a bit or give a slight sideways pull. That should loosen the rod without ruining the coating.
There are other factors that determine the ease with which the arc will start, however. If there’s too little current, it can’t sustain the heat at the tip of the electrode, and it will act like a cold stick that sticks to the workpiece. The current level will vary with the type of rod and the diameter of the rod, but in many cases, just a little more current will make the difference between sticking and start up. You can hear the difference, too. A good arc will crackle consistently. A sticking rod will be silent until the rod breaks free with a loud crack.
A short practice session can get your hand trained. Tack for a few minutes on some junk metal, but not a weld, just pull the torch off as soon as it lights. That separates the motion of tacking from the rest of welding a bead. When you get sparks every time, then hold for a second or 2, then pull the torch away and repeat. That gets your confidence up and helps you feel how hard you can push the rod down.
When this happens, the instinct is to squeeze the holder even harder, but that actually causes it to stick even more because you’re applying more pressure to the tip. By easing up on the holder and letting the wrist relax, you have more control of that first little pop up. The more you do it, the more it becomes second nature and the electrode starts to arc instead of sticking. The formerly iffy maneuver becomes just another simple task that you do to start the weld.