Does smothering your driver’s clubface in lip balm really improve your golf game? Illinois-based golfer James Nichols (@picklerickle42) put this so-called “hack” to the test in a viral video.
“Come put chapstick on my driver,” Nichols wrote in the text overlay of his video, which was posted to TikTok and has since been viewed 60,000 times.
He squeezes a tube of Carmex lip balm onto the face of his driver while out on the golf course. Then it’s time to determine the effectiveness of the lip balm. He swings, and the shot flies down the fairway.
We are not aware of what Nichols’ typical golf game looks like, but it seems he’s rather pleased with himself. He tagged the PGA Tour’s official TikTok account and asked if he “made the cut.”
@picklerickle42
Does Lip Balm Make A Difference?
Some viewers were confused by the lip balm’s purpose.
“How does this help,” one commenter asked.
While it’s not foolproof, Golf Digest states that applying lip balm—or any other lubricant like petroleum jelly—to a club can increase the ball’s distance and produce a cleaner shot. “The lubricants minimize friction at impact and reduce sidespin, keeping the ball from curving too dramatically. The straighter the trajectory, the higher the likelihood of increased distance. There is an upshot, as the backspin can be reduced as well,” Golf Digest explains.
However, this trick is considered cheating and illegal under the United States Golf Association’s Rules of Golf, as it has the potential to change performance.
“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,” per USGA.
In a professional setting, any player who breaks this rule is automatically disqualified.
Ethical Ways To Improve Golf Performance
But don’t worry. There is room for improvement without compromising your ethics or the spirit of the game. Tiger Woods imparted his expertise on how to execute a 50-yard pitch shot in a YouTube video. And popular golf influencer Paige Spiranac shared her 11 “quick and easy fixes to help your golf game” in another video.
BroBible reached out to Nichols via TikTok comment.