Lead tape on golf clubs: What does it do, and is it legal?

Golf club manufacturers spend millions of dollars and untold hours poring over every last facet of their designs. As such, it has to sting a little when the pros take to the course with their clubs covered in an unsightly layer of dull silver tape.

The practice of applying lead tape to golf clubs has become more and more common in professional golf over the years, but actually stretches back more than half a century. Nowadays, however, it feels like taped clubs are more commonplace than ever. 

Wyndham Clark won the weekend's U.S. Open not just with lead tape on his TaylorMade Qi4D driver, but a PING putter that had lead tape over pretty much the entirety of its sole.

Among the other big names that play with silver slabs on their clubs? Bryson DeChambeau, Tony Finau, Rickie Fowler and Akshay Bhatia, to name just a few. 

But what does the practice actually do, where did it originate from, and more importantly, is it something you should be doing in your own game? Here's everything you need to know.

What does lead tape do for golf clubs?

Lead tape is, as the name suggests, a strip of adhesive backed lead that can be applied to different surfaces. 

Originally used in building, lead tape's density makes it an effective way to subtly alter the swing weight, balance and centre of gravity of a golf club, allowing it to produce different types of feel and ball flight. 

Lead tape is also common in racquet sports such as tennis, pickleball and badminton, where it can be used to alter the feel and balance of rabbits.

The practice of applying lead tape to clubs stretches back to the 1970s, however golfers have been tweaking their clubs to suit their game since long before that. The original practice was simply to weld small pieces of lead on strategic points on the club, however lead tape's ease of application made this obsolete.

This is particularly useful with clubs that don't have adjustable weights as standard, for instance irons, wedges and putters, however lead tape is commonly seen on every type of club you'll see on tour.

Players may apply tape to a club for a variety of reasons. Applying added weight to the toe or heel of a club can promote a fade or a draw, while sending weight towards the top, bottom, front or back of a club can result in lower or higher launch with less or more spin. 

In the case of finesse-based clubs like putters and wedges, lead tape can also be used to make a light golf club feel heavier. There's no one size fits all approach – it's simply a matter of personal preference.

Is it legal?

Yes. Applying lead tape to golf clubs is entirely legal, provided the final result remains conforming under the rules of the USGA. Tape can be applied to both the shaft and head of a golf club, but not the face.

Players must also add or adjust the tape before the round begins. You are not permitted to add or remove tape during a round to deliberately change a club's performance.

Is it safe?

Lead tape is entirely safe to use, provided it's not put in places that you're routinely going to come in direct contact with it. We'd recommend wearing gloves while applying it, and limiting touching the parts of your club where it is applied. 

It's also best to store unused tape outside of your bag, to prevent it rubbing off on anything you might have stored in there.