I enjoy lockpicking and want to share what I know. From an old player :)
First and most importantly the mechanic that players seem to struggle with:
Pins rise and fall at varying speeds with each tap.
Tap the pin and watch for when it moves at its slowest, and then lock it as it reaches the top.

On hard/very hard I like to tap each pin to see which one seems to have a more noticeable/predictable slow phase. In my personal experience they vary and there's an 'easier' pin that you're likely intended to start with. As I lock each pin there is a new 'easier' pin.

I'm pretty consistent with opening hard locks with only a couple pins, if not first try. Very hard locks are still a bit testy as they require the most precise timing. Given how well this can be recreated, I believe this is the intended method of opening locks. Other alternatives can be functional but they are essentially checking this mechanic in the background.

Let me know if this is helpful. Have a good one :D