Is it legal to put chapstick or vaseline on your golf driver face? According to the USGA and R&A, it is illegal to put any substance on the club face that is going to impact the club’s performance. This means that you can not use chapstick, vaseline, WD40, or car wax on your club face as it is meant to alter the way the club performs.
If you do use one of these substances on your club face, then you may be disqualified for any competition or tournament you are in.
| Material On Driver Face | USGA Legality |
| Chapstick | Illegal |
| Vaseline | Illegal |
| WD40 | Illegal |
| Car Wax | Illegal |
Why Is It Not Legal To Put Chapstick On A Driver?
Now that it is clear that these types of materials (chapstick, vaseline, WD40, and car wax) are not allowed on your driver’s face, you may be wondering what rule prohibits the use of these things. Believe it or not, there are actually a few USGA rules that prohibit the use of these types of substances on your club face. Below are excerpts from the USGA’s equipment rules.
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.
By applying any substance to the clubhead (other than in cleaning it) to
affect how it performs in making a stroke.
Additionally, this Rule penalizes a player that applies materials of a
temporary nature to the face – such as saliva, grass juice, chalk, aerosol
spray or similar substances. Permanent attachments or coatings such as
plasma spray, “balata”-type rubber or paint are covered under Part 2,
Section 5 of the Equipment Rules.
Vaseline, WD40, and Car Wax On Driver Face
The most popular type of substance that people usually put on the face of their driver is Chapstick. However, there are a bunch of alternatives that people use. The most common alternatives to Chapstick on are vaseline, WD-40, and car wax. Each of these aims to accomplish the same exact goal of putting Chapstick on the driver’s face.
This goal is slowing down or reducing the amount of spin that the ball generates on impact.
Does Putting Chapstick, Vaseline, WD40, or Car Wax On A Driver Work?
For those that do not know, putting one of the substances on the face of your club will help reduce the amount of spin that the ball generates on impact. It essentially reduces the groove’s ability to spin the ball when the club face and ball are making contact.
Believe it or not, it does actually work. As long as you put enough of the substance on the face of the cloud, you will reduce the amount of spin that the ball generates on impact.