I also find, personally at least, that being *too* gentle with the boost on takeoff can cause all manner of wayward behavior, being firm with boost and getting it >2.0 makes a lot of difference on rudder authority, obvious I know but it wasn't to me originally!
I can now make a reasonably good impersonation of a controlled take-off!
And yes - that buried take off cheat had been on, what an ego deflation finding that was!!