Or so I heard anyways.
You're not wrong.
"Because the vast majority of the weight of the airplane is borne by the lift of the wings at the time of rotation, the semi-levered gear acts as if it were “pushing” down like a longer gear. This allows a higher pitch attitude for the same tail clearance or more clearance for the same pitch attitude. A hydraulic strut provides the energy to provide this increased takeoff performance. Although designed to increase takeoff capability, the system provides increased tail clearance for the same weight and thrust as nonequipped airplanes."
Boeing.com:
AERO - Tail Strikes: Prevention