These sticks are indeed strong... until you break six of them off at the tip, in the exact same place, over and over again, whether the tips are nylon or not. Promark used to be such a respectable company before D'Addario. I used to hit the bell incorrectly in my newer days of playing, and even then, the tips would never break. See, that was BEFORE D'Addario. Now, they've really gone downhill, and I won't be buying their sticks anymore.