I've been playing with Moori III M and Everest tips for the past 5 years. Before that with Triangles, which I still have on a couple of shafts, and still consider a damn good tip.
But after hearing so many favorable comments about Sniper, when I was at the Viking Nationals two weeks ago, I had Mike Gulyassy put one on for me. I quickly went to a table and pounded a few shots. I wasn't majorly impressed. It felt okay, but nothing amazing. Actually, it felt harder than I expected, but at the same time spongy.
Then I spent a few days playing with my nephew on his Walmart special over Thanksgiving. It was hard to assess much with the cheap balls, dead rails and wooly cloth, but 3 days of beating on the tip tempered it and brought the first signs of spreading. So I trimmed it up and reshaped the crown when I got home. Then I started to play seriously with it.
First of all, I can say this tip plays differently and feels different than any tip I've ever used. It takes some getting used to. On soft strokes it feels soft; on hard strokes it feels firm. Weird! But damn does this thing grab the cueball and it holds chalk like a sponge. I can definitely get further to the outside of the cueball than any tip I've ever used. It's amazing what this tip allows on slow spin shots. I feel like Efren!
One thing for sure, this tip requires more break-in than other tips. A Moori will feel pretty good after I reshape it the first time, which is usually after a few hours of play. With the Sniper, even after a week of pretty regular play, it still felt a bit spongy to me. Now, after about two weeks, it feels great. It's firm, yet soft. Like nothing else I've ever tried. After the first reshaping, it has hardly moved at all.
I never felt that Moori or Everest were significantly better than a Triangle. They just held their shape better and required less maintenence. But this Sniper allows shots I'd be scared to death to try with a hard tip. And now, after two weeks of play, it has a secure firm feel and a pleasant sound. Chalk clings to it like velcro. At first, I put too much spin on the ball, but now that I'm getting used to it, I find the soft firm feel gives me excellent cueball control.
If this love affair continues, I might never be satisfied with anything else. Now I see why so many others have been so enthusiastic. This Sniper is a remarkably good product!
But after hearing so many favorable comments about Sniper, when I was at the Viking Nationals two weeks ago, I had Mike Gulyassy put one on for me. I quickly went to a table and pounded a few shots. I wasn't majorly impressed. It felt okay, but nothing amazing. Actually, it felt harder than I expected, but at the same time spongy.
Then I spent a few days playing with my nephew on his Walmart special over Thanksgiving. It was hard to assess much with the cheap balls, dead rails and wooly cloth, but 3 days of beating on the tip tempered it and brought the first signs of spreading. So I trimmed it up and reshaped the crown when I got home. Then I started to play seriously with it.
First of all, I can say this tip plays differently and feels different than any tip I've ever used. It takes some getting used to. On soft strokes it feels soft; on hard strokes it feels firm. Weird! But damn does this thing grab the cueball and it holds chalk like a sponge. I can definitely get further to the outside of the cueball than any tip I've ever used. It's amazing what this tip allows on slow spin shots. I feel like Efren!
One thing for sure, this tip requires more break-in than other tips. A Moori will feel pretty good after I reshape it the first time, which is usually after a few hours of play. With the Sniper, even after a week of pretty regular play, it still felt a bit spongy to me. Now, after about two weeks, it feels great. It's firm, yet soft. Like nothing else I've ever tried. After the first reshaping, it has hardly moved at all.
I never felt that Moori or Everest were significantly better than a Triangle. They just held their shape better and required less maintenence. But this Sniper allows shots I'd be scared to death to try with a hard tip. And now, after two weeks of play, it has a secure firm feel and a pleasant sound. Chalk clings to it like velcro. At first, I put too much spin on the ball, but now that I'm getting used to it, I find the soft firm feel gives me excellent cueball control.
If this love affair continues, I might never be satisfied with anything else. Now I see why so many others have been so enthusiastic. This Sniper is a remarkably good product!
