Your legs/feet are part of your balancing regardless of type of pedal. So, unclipping (or taking foot off flat pedal) to further increase your balance is important. It won’t make you less of a rider or something should you use to go clipless. In fact, it shows that you know what you are doing to keep yourself safe. The tricky part, especially for beginners on clipless pedals, is being able to unclip/clip fast enough on technical sections.