I like to use a ball bearing swivel because its easy to change plugs that way. 98 % of the time, I am on the sticks and 50 % of the time, the guys up front could not tie any of the mentioned knots if their life depended on it. Its just way to easy to un-clip one and put on another. Also can't say there is any diff in performance. On a spinning rod, if you don't use a good swivel, the line will twist up like crazy. When rookies are up front, I prefere spinning rods ( 9 ft GL2 Loomis HS1025) because they are easyer for them to use. Nothing like having someone backlash the hell out of a casting reel for ya. I fish with lots of different people and most often use my poles etc.