Sub-tick doesn't add frames for you; it exposes your deceleration curve earlier. Learn to counter-strafe within the 'fireable band' and let crosshair recovery follow, not lead.
The verdict first: sub-tick doesn't give you extra frames
Many players interpret sub-tick as "the server calculates a bit more for me," so they practice counter-strafing more casually. The opposite is true: sub-tick's value lies in denser movement sampling, which exposes your deceleration curve earlier. The moment you press the opposite key, the server doesn't immediately acknowledge it; it must judge across consecutive samples whether your velocity vector has entered the fireable range. In other words, sub-tick makes "whether you stopped" more honest, not more forgiving.
I did a crude test in deathmatch: same AK, same distance, comparing "see enemy then counter-strafe" versus "anticipate the engagement point and counter-strafe half a beat early." The former hit rate was around 60%, the latter consistently above 75%. The difference isn't hand speed but how many samples you give the server to confirm you've stopped. Sub-tick amplifies this gap—it makes late stoppers later and early stoppers reap accuracy dividends sooner.
The counter-strafe window: not an instant, but a 'fireable band'
Think of counter-strafing as a window. After pressing the opposite key, speed drops from peak, passes a threshold into the "fireable band," and continues to full stop. This band has width, depending on weapon, movement speed, and your input rhythm. Sub-tick's significance is making the band's edges clearer: the closer you shoot to the edge, the more likely bullets graze out.
So the focus of counter-strafe practice isn't "stop dead" but "stop within the band." My own drill: in a workshop map, face a wall, do fixed two-step strafes with opposite-key counter-strafes, fire only one shot each time, and record bullet hole offset. If more than five out of twenty consecutive shots land outside the expected area, your opposite key is half a beat early or late—not a sensitivity issue. Under sub-tick, this feedback is more sensitive; a slight deviation shows.
Crosshair recovery: downstream of counter-strafing, not upstream
Many treat crosshair recovery as part of counter-strafing, but it's the result. After you stop firmly, the crosshair offset from recoil and view adjustment needs recovery; this recovery window is staggered from the counter-strafe window. The counter-strafe window governs "can I hit accurately," the recovery window governs "can the second shot follow up." Sub-tick shrinks the overlap between these windows—the cleaner you stop, the easier recovery; the sloppier you stop, the more recovery races against recoil.
An actionable check: fire two shots at a distant point and see if the second lands more scattered than the first. If noticeably scattered, the problem is often not spray control but that your counter-strafe hasn't fully ended after the first shot—your body still carries residual speed. Hold the opposite key a bit longer to bring speed to zero before recovery; the second shot's spread will tighten noticeably.
Sub-tick won't counter-strafe for you; it just does the math finer. In practice, don't chase the feeling of "I stopped"—chase "the bullet holes prove I stopped."