I have the AMS under hood shifter bushings and could easily tell the difference. This was one of my very first complaints with this car also.

Pretty soon I'll be picking up the base bushings as well. There's less play making it easier for me to tell where exactly I'm at. I'm hoping the base bushings will bring a little bit more of that feel.

As for a short shifter, I think where it's at is just fine. Some go with a longer/taller shift knob, some go with a short shifter. I prefer in between the two.

Oh and for as cheap as the bushings are, it's well worth it if you're unsatisfied with the feel in stock form.