I've used the regular plastic cheap 10 dollars cups for awhile, and in combat sports I've always paid for my frugality. After one too many shots to my walnuts, I decided to spend a little more and give the Ultra Carbon Flex Cup a try. I have always been a fan of shock doctor products, mostly their mouth guards, but this product actually was one of the best I've used. I've taken a few nut shots and you barely feel it. Granted you feel the pressure of the protective edges pushing against your body, but the flex cup really does dissipate the damage away from the twig and berries.

The jock strap is rather tight though. It's a perpetual wedgie, but I guess that's the trade off for it being secure. In the end, I would rather deal with a wedgie than the cup shifting and taking a shot to the jewels or worse, having it snipped off or crushed by the edges because it  shifted.

All in all, a great product for combat sports if you don't mind a minor wedgie. Maybe go with compression shorts if you enjoy that, but I tend to be lazy with laundry so I don't want to have to wash compression shorts every day. It's easier just to slip the jock strap over and then throw it in the wash at the end of the week.