That cable appears to be spooled neatly because it hasn't been used yet!

Actually, it is important to spool it carefully to prevent the cable from getting stuck inside itself on hard pulls, making it a real pain to unspool the cable without a load. Usually the last wrap of the cable around the drum doesn't need to be neatly/tightly spooled because you typically unwind it for winching anway, but the lower wraps should be tight. In severe cases of loosely wrapped cable, the wire can actually get crimped or damaged.