Tape on driver face. True or false?

[OUZO Power]

So at lunch I went with a coworker to a sim to hit some balls. They had the cally diablo driver for an awesome clear out price.

but they put tape on the face cause the club was new. I see nothing wrong with this.

But my coworker wasn't getting the distance he anticipated. Turns out he picked up a x-stiff shaft and we saw it at the end. Wasn't for his 95mph swing.

but he brought up an interesting piont. He believed the tape affected his distance.

out of curiosity I asked the guy in the proshop if this was the case and he said if anything the tape helps reduce back and side spin. He explained that it doesn't let the air get in the grooves on the face.

so is this true? Tape reduces side and back spin on the driver?

 

[JB]

The grooves have nothing to do with driver spin and are actually there for aesthetic purposes only (assuming one is teeing it up and not hitting it off the deck).

 

[jmatt]

I think the tape's there to help prevent marking up the club and that's it. If anything, I think tape increases side/backspin. If it reduced it we'd see bomb after bomb down the middle and every scramble would have a host of drivers covered in it. Certainly doesn't involve the grooves on a driver, many have none or grooves nowhere near the sweet spot.

 

[Jank]

Maybe it is related to the chap-stick or Pam on a driver face. Those supposedly reduce side spin, but are illegal. Not sure if it hurts distance.

 

[200s]

Could be the tape either reduces or increases the COR, in this case it sounds like it might have increased it. The face could have had just enough extra bounce.

 

[OUZO Power]

I think the tape's there to help prevent marking up the club and that's it. If anything, I think tape increases side/backspin. If it reduced it we'd see bomb after bomb down the middle and every scramble would have a host of drivers covered in it. Certainly doesn't involve the grooves on a driver, many have none or grooves nowhere near the sweet spot.

Thats what I thought. Simple physics. More traction more spin.

 

[200s]

Thats what I thought. Simple physics. More traction more spin.

If the tape effected spin you would think side spin would be included. So unless someone makes perfect square face hits the tape would dramatically increase side spin, causing more slice or hook.

 

[One-T]

same myth goes for chap stick. I have tried it and saw nothing different.

 

[Scrap Iron]

I'm going to say it's false for drivers I could see where spin could be effected on irons and wedges. Golftown does this with all clubs you take into the sim.

 

[the_paulo]

I think if you're good enough to tell the difference on a sim indoors with tape on/off, you're probably good enough to not pay for your own clubs.

 

[DawgDaddy]

I think if you're good enough to tell the difference on a sim indoors with tape on/off, you're probably good enough to not pay for your own clubs.

+1, I agree 100%