Try an Elkmaster to see if you like soft.
Try a Triangle to see if you like hard.
This test only costs a dollar in parts but will tell you a great deal about what type of tip you prefer.
I agree tho triangles are not classified as hard.....med/hard I beleive
tho I find they hold up more like a hard tip while maintaining the good gripping surface of a softer tip.
Its not completely about the "hardness" of a tip its how its surface acts along with the hardness.
Take LePro....they are HARD.....the face of the tip will GLAZE over and have a GLOSS shine
Triangle and dont do that unless you miscued with them (then it will have a gloss mark) but they do have a FLAT finish with no FUZZIES........
Elkmasters is just like the triangle except that you have a little more fuzz to the tip when you work the surface.....the leather is less dense and more fibrous? (not sure if this is the right word)
but if you look at an elkmaster and say a LEPRO.....the le-pro looks like its processed/chopped/reformed/glued/pressed with how the sides look like particle board.
I can't get a solid look on the sides of a lepro....but i can with an elkmaster or triangle, thats what leads me to believe that the lepros are reconstituted leather.
This is why I think they "Gloss Glaze" over on the tip so easy, b/c of the GLUE.......there's too much glue in the mix.
You have to look at your game when choosing a tip type.
Do you play the outer edges of the ball alot, always jucing up whitey, soft spins etc and you have a softer hitting cue.....then I'd suggest a tip on the softer side. Go with a pressed and soaked Elkmaster called a "MILK DUD" try that b/c its cheaper than most layered tips and should hold up well if you like the softest styles of tip.
If you like to stay in the core of the OB when applying english, and you like to get good pop off the shaft, play cuts with more CUT than spin for pocketing and natural position, and shoot with a stiffer/lots of spine cue. Then I'd suggest a med/hard tip like a pressed triangle.
These comments are just thoughts off the top of my head, so don't take them as the gospel.
But players that spin their ball a ton I find don't generally like the harder tips like lepros, and players that generally shoot UBER straight tend to not care for soft tips like elkmaster.
This is where some of the better layered tips come in as they let you have the resiliance to mushrooming like in a hard tip but you can get the grip of a soft tip without the sponginess or vice verse.
hope that helps you make a more informed decision
no tip is really better than the other when it comes to play, its like "hit" its subjective......the only thing to really consider b/s how a tip plays for you is how well it holds its shape. You need the tip that best fits YOUR UNIQUE GAME....don't use a tip just cuz some champ plays with it.
If you like a tip but it doesn't hold its shape then it needs to be pressed, or pressed and soaked in a solution like milk when using elkmasters to make milk duds.
hope the info helps...
-Grey Ghost-
So I never tell anyone what tip to use cause everyone has different taste and what I want in a tip may not be what someone else is looking for. So if you wanna try something different go a head but always keep a extra shaft with the sniper on it so just in case you dont like the way your new tip plays,,,,<<ED