As others have said, phenolic tips can be finicky creatures that would probably require a fair amount of time to get used to, especially for a player just returning to the game after a long break. I have a phenolic tip on my Predator break cue and it took me roughly two weeks to get used to it. In that two week period, almost every break shot I hit sent the cue ball off the table. Looking back, it was worth the adjustment period. Definitely something to consider as you shop around, though.