Are you fond of watching a golf tournament and wondering, “Why do golfers tape their fingers?“
Golfers who tape their fingers are not only concerned about looking like pros and fashionable on the course.
Most of them wear tape on their fingers to cover up calluses, cuts, blisters, and other causes of discomfort.
Unfortunately, all these types of discomfort are prevalent when playing golf more often or for long hours.
If you develop blisters, calluses, wounds, cuts, etc., taping the affected finger can help manage and relieve the pain.
Indeed, you can prevent calluses or blisters from splitting open, helping prevent distraction in your golf play or practice.
Read the post below and uncover why is keeping white medical tape or Band-Aids in your pocket vital when golfing.
Why Do Golfers Tape Their Fingers?
Calluses
You might have noticed that your hands and feet become susceptible to calluses when you do things repeatedly. Sadly, playing golf is not exempted from this.
The hardened skin helps shield the injured spot from bleeding and splitting. Aside from the discomfort it causes, it can obstruct your movement or performance when it splits open.
Tape
Pro golfers wear self-adhesive tapes that are soft, breathable, and can stretch easily, making them quick to use.
The exclusive tape that golfers wear is affordable, a must-have, and adheres to all the PGA regulations.
You can use the tape to protect specific joints on your fingers, offering you more shield and comfort.
In addition, it’s useful for any weak or cracked areas on the fingers or hand. Remember, you must only stretch the tape sparingly; otherwise, it’ll distract your finger and hand movement.
Avoid applying excessive pressure when putting the tape, as this will cause discomfort and hamper blood flow.
Blisters
Professional golfers take extra care of their hands because they consider them their source of income. Therefore, your golf performance will suffer without proper calluses and blister management.
While you wear a soft leather glove on your left hand, it still won’t be free from developing calluses. And, since you don’t usually wear gloves on your right hand, it is more prone to discomfort and damage.
You usually develop blisters when there’s friction between your fingers and grip while holding the club.
When you suffer from blisters, you must cover them up to keep them from bursting; otherwise, you’ll have an infection.
Stretching the rules with tape
Every professional golfer aspires to enter the wealthiest tournaments during the year. But it takes hard work and constant practice to prosper since the reward that awaits you is not a joke.
Professional golfers use tapes on their fingers and hands to help them execute the correct hand grip position. Fundamentally, a correct grip on the shaft during the swing can take you further in your game.
Since golfing for an extended period causes discomfort in the hands and fingers, using tape can offer relief.
Damaging joints and tendons can occur when golfing; hence, using tape can guarantee longevity.
Why Do Golf Grips Cause Blisters?
Blisters occur due to several different reasons, which are often inevitable.
Here are a few reasons why you develop blisters:
Grip pressure
Tightly gripping the club is one of the prime causes of why golfers get blisters. You must learn proper gripping pressure to maintain distance and experience a stiff swing.
Practice holding the club lightly to ensure that the release becomes smooth sailing. This technique also helps you attain more club head speed and quickly release the club when you swing through.
Unpleasant weather conditions
Golfers typically suffer from skin irritation when they use wet golf clubs in rainy or humid conditions.
Nonetheless, you can inhibit this condition from occurring if you wear golf gloves designed for rainy seasons.
Waterproof golf gloves are ideal for providing the golfer’s hand maximum protection. In particular, they help prevent your hands from rubbing against the drenched rubber grips.
At times, wet hands are softer, making them incapable of preventing blisters.
Read more: Can You Play Topgolf in a Lightning Storm? Know TopGolf Policies
Poor golf grips
You must replace your golf grips at least once yearly if you play golf regularly. Poor golf grips don’t function well, causing you to get blisters.
Factors such as dirt, sun cream, and oil in your golf grips can make them slippery, affecting your performance.
Poor golf grips can also affect your hands and fingers. For this reason, keep your golf grips clean by scrubbing them at least once per month.
Suppose you washed the grips, but there’s no improvement. In that case, replacement is necessary.
Incorrect grip position
Before taking the club back, ensure your hands follow the correct grip position. Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as the perfect grip because you’ll still get a few blisters, anyway.
Ensure that the club is positioned in the fingers of your hands, which helps control the grip pressure.
FAQ’s
The best tape for golf blisters is specifically designed to prevent blisters when gripping the golf club.
It’s commonly manufactured with a light adhesive that conforms to the shape of the hand, ensuring more comfort.
Unlike other athletic tapes, a golfer’s tape doesn’t leave gluey scraps on the grip. And, since the tape is wide enough, it’s ideal for covering a larger area in a golfer’s hand.
Tiger Woods cover his middle finger with adhesive tape to attain the correct grip of his right hand.
He ensures that the fingers on his right hand are down around the underneath portion of the shaft.
Putting tape makes his finger feel suitable on the shaft, assisting him in gripping it with sufficient force.
Wearing tape is also his way of preventing puss and bleeding, typically when his blisters burst.
It would be best if you gripped the club in the fingers of your left hand and not the palm of your hand.
Doing so will make it challenging to use your wrists correctly during the swing.
Golfers use duct tape on their golf clubs to enhance the club’s swing weight. As a result, it can modify shot shape and fix the usual misses.
Theoretically, the additional weight helps hit the ball straighter and further.
Yes. Some pro golfers have attested that taping fingers, aside from preventing blisters, is ideal for improving one’s grip.
As Tiger Woods shared, wrapping his middle finger with tape helps him attain the proper grip on his right hand.
Exerting adequate force when gripping is no sweat because the tape makes his finger feel well-fitted on the shaft.
Final Thoughts
Did we answer your question about “why do golfers tape their fingers?” Beyond doubt, practicing and playing golf regularly can have a few drawbacks, such as feeling some pain, strain, and discomfort.
Golfers, especially professionals, wear tape to prevent calluses, blisters, and discomfort in fingers, hands, and joints.
Moreover, the golfer’s tape works effectively in helping players attain the correct grip position, allowing them to maximize their performance.
That said, seeing famous golfers wearing athletic tape is about self-protection and game improvement, not solely to look fashionable.
What are your thoughts about the golfer’s tape for fingers? We would love to hear your feedback, so please remember to leave a comment below.
Read more: How to Clean Golf Gloves ?
Matt Stevens is the founder of Golfrough.com. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf since he was four years old. Having experienced every high and low golf has to offer, his writing helps the average golfer avoid the mistakes he has made in 28-years on the course.