This is normal. With no phases touching, the motor will more or less spin easily. With 2 phases connected, it will be hard to turn. 3 and very hard to turn.
This is basically how regen works.
Give this a read
Regen brakes will always be weaker at very low speeds.
I really don’t know much about LingYi controllers, but I think the power levels are all handled through the remote throttle or speed settings… best advice here is just get a VESC. Even a simple 4.12 will be more powerful, and give better customization and flexibility than a LingYi, but I’d recommend a VESC 6 based one or even a cheap 75100 Alu off AliE. All about $100.
The ESC is really the heart of any board. The motor will do whatever the ESC tells it to do, and the battery just needs to support the range and power. The feel, acceleration, braking, smoothness, noise, etc is all in the ESC.