I use these, too! In fact my mini-collection of laying tools are my very favorite stitching aid to have in my bag! They are especially good to use with hand-dyed silks that come out of the skein very crinkly and twisted.
as for me, to keep the thread from twisting, I stitching using the method called "railroad" which is to put the needle between the two strands of thread when stitching. this will help to keep the stitch flat.
if it become too twisted, just release the tension by letting go the the needle and let it unwind itself. it works for me.
I agree, it will take time to get comfortable using the laying tool. Once you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature. I love it! It gets the job done nicely.