Glove Or Powder

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AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I use a glove at home to protect my cloth but, I don't shoot as well with a glove as the feel is missing. Please don't say to wipe my hand down with a towel as my hands are real sweaty. My partner can do it with no problem. Any ideas here? Thanks!
 
I use a glove at home to protect my cloth but, I don't shoot as well with a glove as the feel is missing. Please don't say to wipe my hand down with a towel as my hands are real sweaty. My partner can do it with no problem. Any ideas here? Thanks!

powder
use it
 
Powder if I have to, but I usually dont need. Everytime I see someone with a glove on to shoot pool I expect them to moonwalk after every shot..spin and grab their crotch too.
 
soap? I pretty much wash my hands with soap and cool water before I play. I then make sure they are *very* dry using a paper towel (not a hand drying blower). This works fine for at least a couple of hours. If its really humid, just repeat. Keep your shaft very clean. I use 91% denatured alcohol to wipe down the shaft if it ever feels less than smooth.

Powder is messy and creates a dependence. The glove cuts down feel. You have to *train* your hands to behave the way you want them to. It took me many months to ween off of powder, but I'm glad I did. Also, if you *must* use powder, don't get regular baby powder. This is the worst. It is very susceptible to accumulating moisture and getting gummy and sticky. So you then have to use more, etc...instead get a big jug of *talc*. They actually make it for billiards. It doesn't have all the crap that is in Johnson and Johnson's (for example) baby powder. It stays useful for a longer period of time. Also, it doesn't have the smell of baby powder.

Hope this helps,

KMRUNOUT
 
I've also heard that after washing your hands to use a hand sanitizer as it dries out your skin some.
 
How long have you been using the glove? I would suggest you give it some time to see if you can get used to it. I tried the glove and didn't care for it at first and shelved it for a while. I gave it another try and the 2nd time was the charm. At first you feel a little disconnected from your cue but I was able to get used to it. Some people don't understand the problem of having sweaty, sticky hands...it sucks. I wish I could just grab a cue and play but I can't. I found the whole powder thing to be messy on my home table, some pool halls don't have it on hand, and when you use baby powder, it leaves a residue on your cue. I found it easier to put on a glove and forget about it. If you are worried about what people think about a glove then that is something you have to deal with. I'm a big guy like Charlie Bryant, who also wears a glove, and no one says a word to me about it. Not having to worry about sticky hands has made the game more enjoyable for me.
 
Powder pisses me off! Mostly because generally people that use it, don't use if sparingly and it ends up on the rails, the cloth, the balls, and then me. If you can use powder and keep it to yourself, I think it's a great option. Just be considerate when using.
dave
 
How long have you been using the glove? I would suggest you give it some time to see if you can get used to it. I tried the glove and didn't care for it at first and shelved it for a while. I gave it another try and the 2nd time was the charm. At first you feel a little disconnected from your cue but I was able to get used to it. Some people don't understand the problem of having sweaty, sticky hands...it sucks. I wish I could just grab a cue and play but I can't. I found the whole powder thing to be messy on my home table, some pool halls don't have it on hand, and when you use baby powder, it leaves a residue on your cue. I found it easier to put on a glove and forget about it. If you are worried about what people think about a glove then that is something you have to deal with. I'm a big guy like Charlie Bryant, who also wears a glove, and no one says a word to me about it. Not having to worry about sticky hands has made the game more enjoyable for me.

that's because charlie bryant looks like he might knock your teeth through your skull. believe me somewhere someone's joking about his glove where he can't hear 'em
 
I don't use either.. I keep shaft clean with barely damp towel. Wipe it down about every 20-30 mins. Also keep my hands clean. With properly prepared shaft this is all i ever need.
 
If you have "really sweaty" hands, get some fragrance free antipersperant. Wash your hands with really cold water (helps close the pores) and dry thoroughly. Apply a thin layer of antipersperant to the part of your bridge hand that makes contact with the cue. Remove any excess with a paper towel. If you do this 30-45 minutes before you play, you won't know it's there, it won't get all over your shaft and your bridge will stay dry.

Sounds weird, but it works.


:cool:
 
I'm not sure what it's called but I think there is a lotion that some of the pro players use to dry their hands out before they play. Toasty had some of the stuff in his case in an article I read about him in Billiards Digest. I personally don't know how well it works but if it works for him it can't be all that bad.
 
believe me somewhere someone's joking about his glove where he can't hear 'em

Come on folks. Grow up.

Do golf gloves look silly? Similar glove, but you are stupid to not use one. What about baseball batting gloves?

Gloves are great. Cheap, easy to carry, don't get powder everywhere, shafts stay looking like new, table cloth looks new too. Makes sense to me.
 
I agree with 9bizzle, keep using the glove for a couple of months at least to see if you can work with it but if after that you still can't get used to it then try something else, at the end of the day it's your choice you ultimately have to decide.
 
I caught allot of crap for using a glove in my league. Once I started beating everyone (not just because I used a glove) you would be surprised how many converts there were! I wear one and I don't care what anyone thinks about it. It just makes good sense for me, I have sweaty hands and I don't want to get talc powder all over the table. But I agree with the previous poster. If you can use it sparingly and not coat the table in talc than do it if it makes you happy and works for you.
 
Here's my opinion. I had a glove but felt embarassed using it but kept it in my cue case. I carried a small micro-fibre cloth with me and wiped my cue with it after shooting. I also used a piece of Magic Eraser after each shooting session to clean the shaft. About two years ago, while shooting in a tournament, it was an unusually hot day, the room was warm and muggy and my cue seemed to stick to my fingers. I remembered the glove and pulled it out and played with it. I've been using it since. No more powder and no more constant wiping of the shaft. I didn't feel embarassed using the glove because times have changed and a lot of the players are using them now. I also feel that I play better with the glove than without. If you don't like using a glove, then use powder but I think you're better off with the glove.
 
Good idea. I have used regular men's deodorant on my hands before golf but not pool.
 
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