Pioneer,
The purpose of this drill is to break down different aspects of the starts so various pieces of the start can be worked on separately. ( just as you do A’s skip or running A’s to work on your sprinting)
I am not sure I would think of doing this drill as an easier method or more difficult method than an actual block start… A block start is the end piece and this is a drill facilitating the strength and development for your athlete to accomplish a proper start.
Full starts are difficult to do and can be physically taxing so it’s important to find ways to work on the start ( in full or in pieces) in a variety of ways.