Is it vastly easier to pick a lock when it is clamped up?

[pillar]

Is it vastly easier to pick a lock when it is clamped up?
Does it give vastly better feedback than holding it in hand?

(E.G. Abus padlock)

[cheerIO]

Is it vastly easier to pick a lock when it is clamped up?

Maybe

Does it give vastly better feedback than holding it in hand?

Yes, if you are using hard jaws.

You know what I find nice about using a vise? Now have your tension hand free to be on both sides of the wrench so you can manually back up the tension. That may be of use to you on the Abus if it has a bunch of spools in it.

[Valdo]

You have different feelings when the lock is in hand or clamped up, if your vice is full metal (no plastic protection on the jaws) then the vibrations will carry nicely in the metal of the vice,
By picking a lock in your hand you'll be quickly used to having feedback from the palm of your hand, and not from the tension tool only,
so picking a lock clamped up is a better choice to get close to a real situation, you are also more stable to feel false sets when picking locks with spools.

So... easier, maybe in a vice, but mainly just different feedback, although I feel like a vice is mandatory to progress to harder locks.