Rotary rookies....
Speed, pad choice and product choice all come by hands on experience. This is a totally subjective area and the only objective thing about high speed use is that it can be a dangerous tool if taken lightly.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to practice on an older car or a scrap hood or door. I even suggest that you intentionally burn the paint on the scrap pieces so you know just how much heat and friction it takes plus you will know what a "burn" looks like hence you can perhaps prevent it from happening when doing your own car or worse a customers. Use different pads for the burning like foam cutting pads and
wool cutting pads and you will see that foam pads, the non-waffle type, actually heat up quicker than the wool pads because the wool pads allow more air flow.
I have several wool pads but honestly I rarely use them. I prefer to use mainly polishing pads and finishing pads and rarely ever dial past 1800 rpms. If you have a polisher with a variable speed trigger than learn how to lightly squeeze the trigger just half way so you can rev from a few hundred rpm's to your dialed rpm limit, say a 1000. This technique comes in very handy for buffing up next to edges and body lines.
OK, lets buff out a section of a hood. The hood has very light oxidation, minimal swirls. My first step after washing would be to clay that hood thus removing the light oxidation. We then tape off all areas prone to get buffer residue and splatter like windshield wipers and washers. Since we have removed the oxidation we can go with a product designed to remove light swirls and scratches and not worry about removing oxidation.
The problem is not serious enough to justify a cutting pad or a wool pad and a finishing pad would be far to mild to work the product so a polishing pad is what we need. Set the buffer at about 1000 to 1200, I personally (depending on what product I am using) like to mist my pad with a QD. In your head pick out a section about 2x2 in the middle of the hood and apply a light bead of cleaner to the pad. Now many people suggest to apply this in a circle on the outside of the pad or apply a quarter size drop close to the center of the pad. I have found that this depends on what area you are buffing. For large areas, like our hood, I apply the polish in a circle around the pad and if I am buffing a small edge, say around the curve of a bumper, I might apply a small drop to the paint itself and with a slow rev spread the product and cover an area then slowy increase speed.
So we will apply a small bead of product on our pad around the edge and lay the buffer cord over our shoulder,lay the buffer down flat and make sure you are NOT over extended as this will result in buffer hop. If you are kinda short you may need to get a step stool so that you are over and above the buffer as much as possible. This is very important. If you are right handed then your left hand will grab the handle WHICH by the way is NOT what you steer the buffer with. The handle should only be used to assist in guidance and balance. Far too many newbies PULL the buffer or PUSH the buffer with the handle which results in swirls. It will be natural your first few times to have a death grip on the buffer and your body will let you know this the next day by a sore wrist and/or forearm. Beads of sweat are also a clue
Mentally check yourself every so often that you are not clutching the buffer too tight on the extended handle because this will cause you to tilt the pad. You should be able to release the handle while buffing (on a flat surface) and the buffer will glide across the surface. I buff with my right hand working the trigger and my left hand rests lightly on the top of the buffer just above the spindle lock or no left hand at all.
Slowly press the trigger and as the pad begins to spin draw the 2x2 outline with the pad and product and then while slowly increasing speed move the buffer into a figure 8 pattern WITHIN your box. Concentrate right now on the control of speed and movement and not how or if the product is working because with the correct control of speed and movement the product will work!
The pad does NOT need to lie completly flat at all times for this is impossible. One would go nuts trying to buff out a 911, with all of its contours, and keep the pad flat to the paint. Some pads are designed to work better with a slight tilt of the pad. Swirls are introduced into the finish by over tilting but more so by the wrong choice and/or combination of aggressive pad and product.
I get asked quite often, "How do I know when to stop buffing?" That is a question that can only be answered by expereince. While I am buffing I look at the paint and product on the paint and dart my eyes from the area I am doing to the area next to it and I also watch how the product is being worked. As long as you are moving the buffer with slow but steady passes in your boxed area and their is still product to work there is little need to worry about paint burn. After a few moments feel the area you just buffed by laying your palm down on it. If it is just warm then you are doing everything correct, if it is hot then you are working too small of an area for too long of a time OR too high of a speed for the area. Another factor could also be that you need more product.
After 14 years of buffing I can pretty much look at a panel and mentally determine how much product will be needed and for how long but with time and expereince this will also come your way.
Also remember to move the buffer with your body and not just your hands. The ideal movement is that your upper torso, shoulders and hands all move in unison WITH the buffer. This takes some practice. And DON'T forget to breathe as you are buffing because lots of times newbies, in being nervous, hold their breathe and become very ridgid which almost always results in mistakes and frustration. Practice, practice, practice.
Lastly, if your pad seems to be skipping then remove it and rinse it out. On an average car I may rinse out my pad three or four times. Well I apologize for the long post but have fun and enjoy the experience. If I can be of anymore help please let me know.
Anthony
Thanks 
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