Is a pistol grip shifter a good choice for power shifting/drag racing?

I run the pistol grip in my E-body with an aftermarket comp plus mechanism
and while I spend more time on the street, when I do go to the track I find myself
not holding the shifter like a pistol but holding my hand on top of the shifter.
I had recently rebuilt the mechanism, realigned the rods and it shifts pretty darn good,
but I'm surprised to hear the negative feedback on the Vertigate - that's what I had heard was the hot ticket, but again what you hear and what someone will tell you from experience tend to be two different things.