usually with my metal nismo one, i find that slipping a sunglasses slip over the top stops it from getting hot during summer my tip to you all as yup, kinda hard to drive when you can't even touch the gearstick - one disadvantage.
ball ones i don't like, drove one once. felt odd. for trucks and crap.
The tall cylindrical ones i think are cool because you can just bang them with the palm of your hand, and i think helps to give me (at least) quicker shifts. The moulded style ones are nice to hold onto and give a "surer" throw, but you're not meant to be holding onto it anyhow (bad for gearbox i have been told)