What force makes my touchpad freeze the moment I really need to click?

My laptop's touchpad seems to have a terrible sense of timing because it always freezes right when I need to click something important. I can browse websites, move the cursor around, and work normally for a while, but the moment I try to select a button, close a window, or submit a form, the cursor suddenly stops responding. It is incredibly frustrating, especially when everything else on the laptop appears to be working perfectly fine.