These days, golfers have several machines and techniques available to get the correct spin and trajectory. However, before the advent of technology, golfers mostly relied on life hacks to make equipment adjustments.
Even today, many players use different tips and tricks to get better at the game. One of the most popular life hacks is applying chapstick to the driver.
In this guide, let us discuss all you should know about applying chapstick and other substances on the driver face and the implications associated with it.
Chapstick On Driver – A Complete Guide
When playing the game of golf, you must have noticed that the ball sometimes curves as you hit the shot. It is often annoying to find that the ball curves even when you calculated your shot. However, there is a solution to this nuisance – applying chapstick to the driver.
Rubbing chapstick on the driver gives several benefits. One of the biggest changes you see is the golf ball has less sidespin after applying chapstick.
Applying chapstick on the driver would ensure that your ball doesn’t curve so much as otherwise, particularly when the swing is bad. The grease on the driver reduces the sidespin created by a bad swing, and the ball won’t curve as much.
Such a method helps cover more distance than that covered by a typical driver. Though the difference in distance may not be big, chapstick on the driver makes sure the ball has lesser friction and can cover consistent distances.
Chapstick works by reducing the sidespin of the golf ball, resulting in less friction and allowing the ball to travel more distance. Overall, the hack of applying chapstick on the driver works and gives results though there is no guarantee the golfer will win the game with this method.
Applying Chapstick On Golf Driver Face
Pitchers in a game of baseball are often seen applying some form of gel on their fingers to get a better grip on the ball. The same hack is used in golf by applying something like chapstick on the face of the golf driver to reduce the spin to a great extent. When the spin is less, you get fewer slices and curves in your game.
Curves and slices are quite important in golf as they refer to the way the golf ball travels when hit. As the travel time and distance of the ball are the core of the game of golf, every player is concerned about these factors.
Curves and slices affect how well your ball can help you win the game. A player would always want the golf ball to travel in a straight-line path, but it doesn’t happen because of factors like the swing, wind, and others.
The primary reason for using chapstick on a golf driver face is to remove the sidespin. It is the sidespin that makes slices and curves so apparent and affects the ball’s travel a lot. The chapstick method is quite popular because of its ability to reduce the sidespin and minimize curves and slices. However, it is important to note that applying such a substance on the driver face is not legal in professional golf.
Putting Vaseline On Driver Face – What You Should Know?
Golfers use several different tactics to manipulate ball flight and improve their performance in the game. One of the most popular hacks is putting chapstick, Vaseline, sunscreen, lip balm, or any other similar substance onto the driver’s face in an attempt to reduce unwanted spin on the shot. Players are often seen putting chapstick, lip balm, or Vaseline on their lips and some on their clubface to make it look natural.
While chapstick is the most common substance used on driver face, petroleum jelly like Vaseline, sunscreen, and others can also be used. Applying any of these greasy products to the driver would reduce the sidespin created by a bad swing. However, you can lose the backspin with this method which can help or hurt your performance depending on your launch features.
Using these products on the golf course, particularly at professional tournaments and events, is illegal and considered a form of cheating. The Rule 4.1 Clubs Section 3 under the Rules of Golf states that a player must not make a stroke with a club whose performance characteristics have been changed in any way, including the application of a substance to the clubhead to affect how it performs in making a stroke.
Using Lip Balm On Golf Driver
The use of lip balm on golf driver is one of the most common techniques golfers use during the game to reduce the sidespin and improve the distance of the golf ball.
This method is easy to implement as you can always take some lip balm off your lips and apply it to the face of the driver. It is used as an alternative to chapstick and works similarly. However, using any such techniques is cheating and should be avoided.
No matter how small a change is made to the club’s performance, if a player gets an advantage over opponents through any such substance, it is called cheating. Applying lip balm, chapstick, or Vaseline on the driver face gives the golfer an unfair advantage when covering distance.
The technique also reduces the slices and curves of the ball, which affects the game to a great extent. Any such methods are not encouraged or permitted in professional golf so that it is a fair game for every player.
Final Thoughts
Applying chapstick on the driver face has several benefits but is an illegal practice and should be avoided. It is not legal to put any foreign substance like chapstick, Vaseline, lip balm, or anything else on your club during the game.
Though this does not apply to casual golf, it can ruin the competition and discipline of the game and should not be encouraged.
