I started with a pan/tilt (because I did not know any different) but once I moved to a ball head I won't go back.
That assumes a few things:
1) You do not do video. Pan/tilt is better for video I am told
2) You get a good ball head. A cheap one is an exercise in frustration. A good one is a pleasure to use.
3) You get one that is rated for your gear. Take the manufacturers ratings and discount by half at least. A good ball head should lock with zero movement or droop when using your heaviest gear. If it shows any droop, don't bother get one with a higher weight rating.
Either will work, so maybe go to a store and actually play with some different ones. I prefer ball heads (I use the
acratech GP) but others might prefer the pan/tilt.