R.
When I first tried to transition my son, he did the same thing. He hated the darn sippie cups! What I ended up doing was trying to transition him, then I took a break for several weeks (I don't know if that was a good idea), then I tried again. It worked better the second time, maybe b/c he was ready for it.
I like Playtes sippie cups. There's only three peices: the cup, the lid, and only one plastic insert. I tried Avent b/c they're expensive and fancy (which would make them the best), but I was annoyed with them having 4 pieces and they leaked sooner than Playtex. Eventually, all sippie cups start leaking so then you have to change the plastic. I only need to buy a new plastic so it's simple.
Hope this helps!