Wow....the hostility in this thread.........I did not see anything wrong with the video and it was informative for those not already in the know.
My only comment....without all the hostility is that....some.......pool players, Golfers, Tennis players, Gun Shooters, etc etc. are superstitious, finicky, picky, psyco, (whatever you want to call it) about their equipment......and perception is often way more powerful than science......so even though a dime may be scientifically correct in better contact.....the mental side of a player overpowers that and they may prefer a dime.
I suspect that in some cases a very good player may even think they have a nickel shaped tip but in reality have a dime....(or as Lou mentioned somewhere in between)
I watched a very good player play with a tip that literally looked like a cone....damn near came to a point.....he made everything and was able to spin the ball all over the place like Earl........I asked him...How did you come up with that shape of a tip......He said he did not purposely shape it that way....it just ended up that way over time and now he cant play with a flat tip.
Side note....has anyone else ever noticed the blue ring on Earls ferrule....I know he has a type of tip preference...but I wonder how picky he is about his tip shape.