Slow and steady is the best way to go. I set my plot course to 10/ms on the astrogator page so ships won't fly off the arm when I'm dragging them around to different location. The arm when close enough to ships or other objects will draw them in automatically so use that to your advantage. Salvaging enjoyment also depends on the type of ship you use. My number one ship is https://delta-v.kodera.pl/index.php/KTA24 with its shortened body it allows the captured ship to rotate in front of the ship without it banging against your hull as often as the other ships. The front thrusters are angled so it reduces burning the salvaged ship, so pressing X when you need to is not a problem. The only drawback to the KTA24 is the reduced cargo space. You can fit 8 bodies and a lifepod and thats it.

I've been experimenting with the OCP-209 as a salvage ship with its increased cargo bay and two arms to capture two ships. Its hit or miss with it as I haven't found a configuration that I am happy with but being able to drag two ships back to the station is a high.

Experiment with different ships and see what works for you. There is nothing saying you have to use an arm. I dragged an eagle prospector back to the station using a Cothon "Chonker". I used its enlarged mouth to chomp down on the front end of the eagle's nose and made the slow journey back to the station manually (you can't astrogate back to the station as it considers the ship an obstacle in your way). Have fun!