Throwing is learned by repetition and most of the early frustration comes from four fixable things rather than from any lack of ability: unwedged clay, too much water, the wrong seat height and an underpowered wheel. All four are worth eliminating before concluding anything about talent.
Sit properly
Straight back, elbows braced against knees or the wheel frame, clay at a height that does not make you stoop. A wheel too low bends your back and a seat too low leaves you no leverage. People give up on throwing because of back pain far more often than because of pots, and it is entirely a setup problem.
Use less water
Water reduces friction and, in quantity, turns the wall to slurry and the clay to a slippery lump you cannot grip. Wet the hands, not the pot; wipe the excess between pulls; use a sponge rather than pouring. Almost every collapsed cylinder in a first month has too much water in it.
Wedge, every time
Clay of uneven stiffness cannot be centred and the failure feels like a failure of technique. Wedge reclaim thoroughly, and if a lump is fighting you unusually hard, take it off and wedge it again rather than persisting. That single habit removes a large fraction of the bad sessions.
Expect to reclaim almost everything
The first month's pots mostly go back in the bucket, and that is not waste, it is the process. Keep the reclaim wet in a lidded bucket, dry it back on a plaster bat when there is enough, wedge it and use it again. Clay costs about a pound a kilogram, and reclaiming properly means the learning costs almost nothing in materials.
Questions people ask about throwing pottery
How long does it take to learn to throw?
Weeks of regular practice to make something usable, longer for consistency. Repetition matters far more than any single lesson.
Why does everything collapse?
Usually too much water and pulling too fast. Wipe the water off between pulls and make fewer, slower ones.
Is it wasteful to reclaim everything?
No, it is standard practice. Keep reclaim wet in a lidded bucket, dry it on a plaster bat and wedge it back into use.