I chalk with my grip hand, not my bridge hand and I am right hand dominant.
I shoot lefty when I am too lazy to get a bridge or the shot is obviously easy.
It seems more natural to apply chalk since I’m not equally ambidextrous with both hands.
My right hand understandably has much more dexterity, strength and finger manipulation.
I brush my chalk on my cue tip and never grind, twist or rub circularly when I apply chalk.
I was taught at the age of 16 the correct way to apply chalk from my peers at pool rooms.
Been doing it ever since over the last 64 years and let me tell anyone on the fence about
using TAOM V10 or Pagulayan chalk. If you brush it on your cue tip, it lasts a very long time.
I have a similar habit when it comes to chalking. I am right handed. I hold my cue close to the joint, usually more towards the bumper, with my left hand and then brush the tip of the cue with chalk, whichever chalk I am using at the moment, with my right hand. I also hold the cue almost sideways and rotate it when I chalk. I would say the tip is a little lower if not at chest level when I am applying chalk, but well away from myself or the table. Buddy of mine snapped a picture at some point that shows what I am talking about. Probably not uncommon, but I have not been in a billiards hall, that is not the county recreation center in so long, and by extension not looking for any competition with strangers, that I do not know what is common or uncommon anymore. Well, I do not remember to be honest.
I have also developed the habit of having a black hand towel hanging from my right pocket. I have extremely sweaty hands so I have integrated wiping my right hand with the "pocket towel" in my pre-shot routine, just after chalking, before getting down to take a shot. People look at me like I am nuts, but that is what works for me. I started hanging the neatly folded towel in my front right pocket around 15 years ago when I realized I was constantly drying the sweat off the palm of my hands on my pants, without thinking, while moving around the table. While at the seat I used a regular towel to wipe both the shafts and my hands, so I figured might as well fold a hand towel, hang it from the pocket, and dry my hand every single time before I take a shot. Control the sweat and whatever chalk residue is on my right hand.
I have been an aircraft mechanic most of my adult life, automotive before that, and having sweaty hands translates into a lot of hand tool corrosion prevention.
