I'm also experiencing some trouble starting my GXE. It sounds very rough and "chugs" when when starting. Instead of the quick, high-pitched turnover sound, it's a laggy, low-pitched grinding noise. Occasionally it simply does nothing when the key is turned, beyond a single click.
I'll have to try this starter-whacking technique. I'm driving the 99 GXE 1.6L GA16DE, but I'm terribly unfamiliar with all things car-related... Can anybody point to a diagram of the major engine components? I want to make sure I'm beating on the right part.
*edit* downloading FSM.zip, no need for diagram