RE: Newbie question
You should hold your bow as loose as possible to avoid torque. by holding it thatlooseyou would dropyour bowafter the shot. This is why you use a sling. You don't have to buy a $10 sling. I use a leather strip.
As for the stabilizer, go to an archery shop and test a few out. Most archery shops will let you test them before you buy them.