lastchance,
I HATE loops. Those huge knots at the leader butts. HATE 'em!

I began using them exactly as you described, when I began fly fishing. I'll use them now on warm water stuff, especially bassing because you tend to get hung up really well sometimes in the reeds and you need to pull sometimes quite hard to get free. And presentations aren't an issue bassin'! In fact the opposite is true. Slapping your bug down!

Trouting though, I hate 'em. I tie my own leaders now and attach to the fly line with a nail knot. You'll break a rod before that knot lets go.

And I used your method when I began because my casting caused me to tangle so frequently. Now that I've MUCH improved my casts through a lot of "on the grass" learning (which is so important!) tangles/casting knots aren't any trouble, mostly. Sometimes but nothing like a few years ago.

Those huge knots are lousy entering/exiting your rod tip-top guide. And my tip tops are fine because I use 1,2 3 and sometimes 4wts in graphites. Nothing heavier for the small water I fish.

You'll go through many changes....it's all personal prefs.

Good luck and keep asking here. Lots of us do it lots of ways for lots of reasons and situations.

Jeremy.