Chapstick on Driver: Does It Work?

Life hacks can either be a life-saver or a fluke. That’s the same for Golf!

Golfers can pick up many tips and tricks to help them be better at the game.

However, one particular life hack is applying Chapstick on your drivers.

DOES IT WORK?

This article will explore the rumor that applying Chapstick on your driver benefits the golfer!

What Does Putting Chapstick on Your Driver Do and Does It Work?

When you play Golf and shoot your shot, do you notice that the Golf ball sometimes curves?

Don’t you find it annoying when that happens? Why did it curve when you calculated your shot?

GUESS WHAT!

When you apply Chapstick to your driver, all those problems and nuisances are solved!

Source: Reddit.com

Applying Chapstick to your driver gives you MANY benefits in Golf.

The most significant change is that your Golf ball will have less sidespin when applying this.

Applying the Chapstick means that your ball won’t curve as much, especially if your swing is terrible.

This method helps in covering more distance than a typical driver would.

The distance difference may not be huge, but the substance makes the Golf ball have less friction and cover consistent distances. 

Less friction happens because the Chapstick reduces the sidespin of the Golf ball, allowing for the golfball to travel further distances.

In short, the method WORKS! But it does not guarantee that you will win a game of Golf.

Why Do Curves and Slices Matter in Golf?

Curves and slices in Golf are how the Golf ball travels when shot.

These are important in Golf because the distance and travel time of the Golf ball is the VERY ESSENCE of Golf.

The first player to shoot at the hole wins the round.

These curves and slices will affect your ball in achieving that goal.

You may want to make sure the Golf ball travels in a straight-forward path, but winds, your swing, and other factors will not make that happen.

The reason golfers use the Chapstick method is they want to remove sidespin.

The sidespin makes curves and slices much more apparent and could affect the Golf ball’s travel.

That is why the Chapstick method is popular!

Is It Legal to Use This Method During Golf Tournaments?

NO, it is ILLEGAL to use this method in professional Golf!

Under the Rules of Golf, Rule 4.1 Clubs Section 3 states the following.

(3) Deliberately Changing Club’s Performance Characteristics During Round. A player must not make a stroke with a club whose performance characteristics he or she deliberately changed during the round (including while play is stopped under Rule 5.7a):

• By using an adjustable feature or physically changing the club (except when allowed to repair damage under Rule 4.1a(2)), or
• By applying any substance to the clubhead (other than in cleaning it) to affect how it performs in making a stroke.

No matter how small the changes can be, if a Golf player gets any advantage over his opponent through other substances, it is cheating.

Applying Chapstick to your driver will give a golfer an unfair advantage when covering distance.

The method also lessens the curves and slices of the ball, which is an essential factor in the sport.

Simply put, for Golf to be a fair game for everyone, they ruled that such methods are not allowed in tournaments and professional games.

What Are Alternatives to Chapstick?

Frequently, golfers refer to products like Chapstick as foreign substances. 

Golfers apply foreign substances to their clubs to aid them in the sport.

Chapstick is a common product for golfers to use, but there are some alternatives if you do not wish to use Chapstick!

Keep in mind that they all work similarly to Chapstick. It all boils down to preference!

Cooking Spray

You should ALWAYS apply cooking spray before going to the Golf course! Here are some cooking spray products for you to choose from.

• PAM Cooking Spray

Crisco Cooking Spray

Petroleum Jelly

There are many petroleum jelly products to choose from! Here are some of the best.

• Vaseline Petroleum Jelly Original

• Solimo Petroleum Jelly

Sunscreen

Sunscreen can be confusing to see how it’s an alternative, but it still works! Here are some of the best the market has to offer!

• Neutrogena Clear Face

• Coppertone Oil-Free Sunscreen

Final Thoughts

While applying Chapstick to your driver brings MANY benefits, it also has its costs.

As stated in the Rules of Golf, you cannot put any foreign substances or features on your club during playtime.

While this does not apply to casual golfers, it will still ruin the camaraderie and competition of the sport.

It does not hurt to try this method out and see for yourself how applying Chapstick to your driver can change your game style!

Some golfers even say that there isn’t much difference when using a clean club or applying Chapstick!

However, if it states in the rule of the sport, then we all have to adjust to it.

We HIGHLY RECOMMEND you do not depend on the method. Golfers treat this as cheating in the sport.