i'm facing backwards so that i know where the sling is, so that i can get in sync with it, that way i can lift my leg at the right time, and get the maximum power, and the spinning is also for power, because of static and kinetic friction, kinetic friction is less than static friction, so that means that when a sling is spinning, it is easier to move to a higher speed, than when you would start from no spin.
also yes i have tried figure eight, in fact i used to use that all the time, and i still do, but for power, this style has way more then any other style that i've seen, for a short sling. since this style ends with the same hand position it has the same accuracy as the original figure eight, just more power because you aren't starting from standing still, so it's easier to get the ammo moving. again this video was not made for accuracy, it was made for power, so i get your points but, the problem is, is that you haven't seen this styles accuracy.