Switch from hard to soft tip, worthwhile?

K

Klopek

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Been using a hard tip for a while with satisfactory results. Interested in giving the Sniper another go but I know they're a lot softer than what I'm used to. I can spin the cueball a little easier with the sniper but feel I sacrifice long distance accuracy and some degree of feel. Is this all in my head, or is there some truth in this instinct?. Am I better off sticking with the harder tips or is the Sniper that good?. Cory?:D
 
Klopek said:
Been using a hard tip for a while with satisfactory results. Interested in giving the Sniper another go but I know they're a lot softer than what I'm used to. I can spin the cueball a little easier with the sniper but feel I sacrifice long distance accuracy and some degree of feel. Is this all in my head, or is there some truth in this instinct?. Am I better off sticking with the harder tips or is the Sniper that good?. Cory?:D
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when you tried it before did you let it break in ?

becuase my experience is that it takes a week or so of playing with it and it goes away from that 'soft' feel after it breaks in. (It feels too soft during the breakin period.) it feels to me like it turns into a hard tip but with the soft tip qualities.
 
I had a feeling of lost accuracy when I went from sniper to a softer tiger medium tip. Soft tips can have a tendency to react differently to shots and harder tips seem to be more consistent. Sniper will become much harder like cheemagun says, in my opinion this tip gives the best of everything.

However, if you are happy with a hard tip why change?
 
cheemagun said:
when you tried it before did you let it break in ?

becuase my experience is that it takes a week or so of playing with it and it goes away from that 'soft' feel after it breaks in. (It feels too soft during the breakin period.) it feels to me like it turns into a hard tip but with the soft tip qualities.
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Good call. The first time using a Sniper I shot with it for about three hours and didn't like it. Cut it off the same day and put a hard tip back on. I've recently read a couple threads that mentioned the Sniper needs some extra time to break in properly. Wish I knew that before I cut an expensive tip off and tossed it in the trash.:D

This is why I'm considering giving it another shot, only this time I won't quit on it so soon.
 
Wolven said:
I had a feeling of lost accuracy when I went from sniper to a softer tiger medium tip. Soft tips can have a tendency to react differently to shots and harder tips seem to be more consistent. Sniper will become much harder like cheemagun says, in my opinion this tip gives the best of everything.

However, if you are happy with a hard tip why change?
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Well that's just it, I'm not really happy with the hard tip. I like the sound and the feel but don't get spin the way I do when using softer tips like elkmasters.

I remember thinking the Sniper had a very unique sound, wasn't sure if I liked it, but it sounded responsive. The only thing I disliked was how soft it felt, but if this changes with break in, then I'm probably going to like them a lot.
 
I recently have changed from hard tips of several different types to Moori Slows (soft). I think that Mooris are inherently harder than most tips. The mediums always seemed hard, etc. The soft Moori allows me to move the CB pretty much anywhere I need it, but with a good solid feel, as opposed to the mushy tips that one usually equates to being "soft".

Good luck!

Steve
 
Hunter said:
I recently have changed from hard tips of several different types to Moori Slows (soft). I think that Mooris are inherently harder than most tips. The mediums always seemed hard, etc. The soft Moori allows me to move the CB pretty much anywhere I need it, but with a good solid feel, as opposed to the mushy tips that one usually equates to being "soft".

Good luck!

Steve
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Yeah, I've heard some call the Sniper hard and some call it soft. Maybe those that thought it was too soft did what I did, didn't let them break in. Sounds like the Sniper might be more in the medium or med-hard range. We'll see.:)
 
It definitely changes. At first the sniper feels soft but after 20 hours it will be much harder. You will have to reshape it probably once but after that it keeps shape really well. The chalk always sticks very well, doesn't mushroom and the tip never glazes like for example Moori tips. I have a medium Moori on one of my shafts and don't like it, used to have a soft Moori but it mushroomed and fell apart, probably just a bad luck on that one.

Klopek said:
The only thing I disliked was how soft it felt, but if this changes with break in, then I'm probably going to like them a lot.
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Klopek said:
Yeah, I've heard some call the Sniper hard and some call it soft. Maybe those that thought it was too soft did what I did, didn't let them break in. Sounds like the Sniper might be more in the medium or med-hard range. We'll see.:)
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The Sniper Tip is a bit of an anomaly. It will start out soft on ya, then once broken in, it firms where it stays for the rest of its useful life. A Sniper's useful life can be from 1-3 years depending on how often you mess with it (scuff, shape etc...).

Commit to the Sniper for at least 10 hours of play and you will probably never go back to anything else.

FYI: Just because we have been getting this question a lot lately, having 4-5 full layers exposed on the side of the tip is the ideal shaped height. ;)
 
I am about to put a sniper on my 314 shaft, do you guys who use them cut them down at all?
 
despotic931 said:
I am about to put a sniper on my 314 shaft, do you guys who use them cut them down at all?
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If I am not mistaken, Corey just answered this exact question just above your post. Have a nice day.
 
CrownCityCorey said:
The Sniper Tip is a bit of an anomaly. It will start out soft on ya, then once broken in, it firms where it stays for the rest of its useful life. A Sniper's useful life can be from 1-3 years depending on how often you mess with it (scuff, shape etc...).

Commit to the Sniper for at least 10 hours of play and you will probably never go back to anything else.

FYI: Just because we have been getting this question a lot lately, having 4-5 full layers exposed on the side of the tip is the ideal shaped height. ;)
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i have a sniper on my qp cue. but i think i'm going to change to a moori. they mushroom more but i really like them. probably because i'm used to 'em though
 
I'd say go for it. What's the worst that can happen? You end up not liking it and switch back to a hard tip? So be it...at least you'll know for sure, then...

Although I don't think you'll be disappointed. Great tips, snipers are.

Personally, I've shot with one before, and liked it, but I just went on to experiment some more with others (Hercules H2, Talisman, WB, Triangle, etc.) and am still experimenting (got my next cue coming to me with Moori Mediums -- never gave those a serious shot because of the price tag lol).

And if you've got a cue with two shafts, put a Sniper on one and whatever you're playing with on the other and run some test trials from there. :)


Good luck!
 
I think you may have to contribute some of that to just switching from Talisman to Moori, though...no?
How about Talisman M versus Moori M? Had the opportunity to try that yet?
 
Klopek said:
Good call. The first time using a Sniper I shot with it for about three hours and didn't like it. Cut it off the same day and put a hard tip back on. I've recently read a couple threads that mentioned the Sniper needs some extra time to break in properly. Wish I knew that before I cut an expensive tip off and tossed it in the trash.:D

This is why I'm considering giving it another shot, only this time I won't quit on it so soon.
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Yea.. you need to leave it on and play with it.


Wolven said:
It definitely changes. At first the sniper feels soft but after 20 hours it will be much harder. You will have to reshape it probably once but after that it keeps shape really well. The chalk always sticks very well, doesn't mushroom and the tip never glazes like for example Moori tips. I have a medium Moori on one of my shafts and don't like it, used to have a soft Moori but it mushroomed and fell apart, probably just a bad luck on that one.
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Mine never mushrooms

despotic931 said:
I am about to put a sniper on my 314 shaft, do you guys who use them cut them down at all?
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I tell the guy leave as much of it on as you can. After a week of play for me it hardens up and plays really good.

CrownCityCorey said:
The Sniper Tip is a bit of an anomaly. It will start out soft on ya, then once broken in, it firms where it stays for the rest of its useful life. A Sniper's useful life can be from 1-3 years depending on how often you mess with it (scuff, shape etc...).

Commit to the Sniper for at least 10 hours of play and you will probably never go back to anything else.

FYI: Just because we have been getting this question a lot lately, having 4-5 full layers exposed on the side of the tip is the ideal shaped height. ;)
Click to expand...

I don’t know. the best tips wont last more then 7 months of play for me. I don’t know if it’s the way I shoot or what. But the natural shape of my tip after I play with it becomes less than a nickel. But I like this shape the best too.. I don’t like a dime shape.
 
Thanks for everyone's thoughts, I'll definitely give the Sniper another try. Still have a good supply of hard tips laying around, so if the experiment doesn't work out I'm good to go.:)
 
After I install a new sniper...I bounce the shaft on the garage floor at different angles for about 100-200 times. Reshape and use it. Sort of a rapid breakin. I still test the shape after each usage...but it stays pretty consistent after that initial bouncing.

Whats the difference in play when all the layers are on vs removing down to 5-6 layers? Seems a waste of money to remove 1/2 the layers. I would think its impossible to use the 1/2 you cut off.
 
NaturalEnglish said:
After I install a new sniper...I bounce the shaft on the garage floor at different angles for about 100-200 times. Reshape and use it. Sort of a rapid breakin. I still test the shape after each usage...but it stays pretty consistent after that initial bouncing.

Whats the difference in play when all the layers are on vs removing down to 5-6 layers? Seems a waste of money to remove 1/2 the layers. I would think its impossible to use the 1/2 you cut off.
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The shorter a tip is cut, the harder it plays. Five to six layers might be the perfect height to compliment the tip hardness.

Snipers come fairly tall when new, leaving them too tall can be dangerous. There's an effect called sheering where a masse shot or any kind of extreme sidespin can cause the tip to fail. This puts a lot of sideways strain on the layers and they can come apart. The general rule is the side of the tip should be at or less than a thrid of the ferrule diameter.
 
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