Talcum powder, cheaply available in shake bottles as "Men's Talc" or "Clubman Talc", makes the bridge hand a smoother, more comfortable guide for the cuestick.

In large poolrooms, talcum often appears in a solid conical form, wrapped around a wood peg, in the same shape that gyro beef goes onto a horizontal spit for cooking.

Cue sticks become sticky from use, and talcum can help beginners when the microscopic pores on the wood stick become clogged from perspired oils and dirt.

Players who want smooth hands to rub the cue along pour or rub talcum or baby powder (an excellent and inexpensive alternative) on their bridge hand before starting play.

The intermediate will not need talcum after their skills improve and they are comfortable stroking the cuestick. Most players above even a novice's level don't use talcum or baby powder at all.

Talcum or baby powder can be convenient to have at home for a guest's use or to dry hands soaked from excessive perspiration. The powder, however, which becomes strewn everywhere, can become quite messy and mar the color of the felt in your home besides adding much throw to the balls.

Owning a personal cue (kept free from others' perspiration) and keeping it clean or well varnished can also help. If you still have difficulty, instead of talcum powder or baby powder, try using one of the "rosin bags" that bowlers use for drying slippery and slick hands!