Honestly, I always yank some yarn out of the ball before I knit some stitches so that there is no tension on the yarn at all, and then I manage all of the tension I want to add with my hand/fingers alone. But…I’m an English-style knitter. Though I also do that when using both hands for two-color stranded colorwork. So yeah, maybe don’t rely on it coming out of the skein or off of the ball smoothly; it’s yarn, it has a tendency to grip to itself and tangle.
Hopefully this comment helps because I have to admit, I’m not 100% sure what you mean. Either way, best of luck!