I never put my hand inside the sound hole to check if the ball ends are seated correctly. Here's what I do when changing strings:

String in the bridge and pin loosely in. Then I pull on the string. If the pin rises, that tells me it's snagged on the bottom of the pin. To get it off I rotate the string. You'll feel it come off and seat against the bridge plate, then I thread it through the post, pull back about an inch of slack and start to wind. No fancy locking or Boy Scout knots, and I repeat this with all 6 strings.

Ok guys, feel free to find fault with it. If you think it's wrong, say so.

Cheers
-F