I'm not sure if the tip is big enough to be a "sleeper' tip for that top.... He should spin it once using a motorcycle or car to pull . . .
Interesting. In LEGO non-throwing tops, I consistently find that the finer the tip -- i.e., the smaller its radius of curvature at the contact -- the better your odds of twirling a sleeper from the start. On some surfaces, a finer tip would also be harder to pull out from under the top.
So, good things to try -- separately or in combination...
1. Boost spin-up torque by upping the force pulling the rope -- without pulling the tip out from under the top in the process. Seating the tip in a divot might help. Suzuki 1000, team of horses, Vespa, or just another human?
2. Make the top's angular momentum at the time of release as vertical as possible.