They are not as good as my custom macro-guide rods. I went the other direction with my design, and use giant 4 inch guides all the way down to the tip. The rods are difficult to get into the rod boxes, but the guides are a full 4 inches, and small-fisted men and most women can fit their fist through them - and that's pretty cool and also their biggest selling point. They're mostly designed for the pro-circuit, but amateurs find them useful, too.