Why Do Golfers Tape Their Fingers? Best Athletic Tapes For Golf

Golf has a reputation of being a low impact activity. While this is true compared to most other sports, golf can still take a toll on your body.

Specifically, repetitively griping and swinging of the golf club overtime can lead to blisters and calluses. Smart golfers know how to prevent these injuries by using athletic tape.

The main reason why some golfers tape their fingers is to protect their skin from blisters and calluses.

Many parts of a golfer’s body are important when it comes to perfecting their swing, but none are as vital as their hands.

If damage is caused to their hands, then they aren’t going to be able to hit the ball as far or as accurately as they’d be able to with healthy hands.

In the article below, we are going to do a deep dive on taping your fingers while golfing. Why and when to tape, how to properly tape your fingers, as well cover the best tape to use when golfing.

We have a lot to cover so let’s get started.

3 Best Tapes For Golf Blisters

Different golfers swear by different types of tape and the reality is, there are plenty of options on the market that will do the job.

The key is finding one that feels comfortable on your skin and doesn’t disrupt how you grip your clubs. Here are three options that you should consider:

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How Do Blisters Develop Through Golf?

You may be wondering how blisters can develop while playing golf considering golfers wear a glove on their left hand (or right if they’re land handed).

This glove is mainly used for a better grip, but it also protects that hand from blisters.

However, that still leaves one hand open to the potential of blisters. Blisters develop due to the friction between the rubber grip and the hand during a swing.

When sweat has developed on the hands, this friction is more severe, and blisters are more likely.

The reason why golfers prefer tape on the ungloved hand over a second glove is because the feeling of having two gloves on can make it harder to grip the club properly.

It can also make it difficult to tell when the club is slipping during the swing.

Are you also have issues with blisters on your feet? Check out our article 6 Tips For Breaking In New Golf Shoes (Prevent Blistering!)

How Do Calluses Develop Through Golf?

Calluses develop on the skin when repetitive actions take place. In golf, your hands are performing the same action continuously and if you’re a professional then this is happening on a daily basis.

This hardened skin is going to impact a golfer’s ability to grip and swing their golf clubs properly, so tape is placed on parts of the fingers where calluses most commonly develop for protection.

How To Tape Your Fingers

Taping your fingers is a very easy process. With all of the tape, we listed above, all you have to do is wrap the tape around the area on your finger and then cut the excess off with scissors once you have wrapped it fully around your finger.

If you are interested in taping two fingers together, then the process is the same except you’d make sure to double-wrap both fingers. Double taping, however, is a controversial issue when it comes to golf.

If you have a legitimate injury to any of the joints in your fingers then you are allowed to double-tape your fingers, however, if you don’t then many consider it cheating.

Having two fingers taped together can aid your golf grip and swing and help you to hit the ball straighter. So, if you don’t have an injury but are double taping your fingers then you may end up in hot water.

3 Alternative Ways To Prevent Blisters

Using tape on your fingers isn’t the only way to prevent blisters from appearing while playing golf.

1.) Keep Your Hands Dry

Another simple and easy way to avoid blisters is to keep your hands and grip dry at all times while out on the course.

So, if it’s raining make sure to wipe your hands and golf grip before each shot and do the same when sweat starts to develop. Here are some other methods you should consider:

2.) Re-grip Your Clubs

The grip on your clubs is often the reason for blisters. If you have had the same grips for a number of years then they are probably wearing away.

This can cause more friction than necessary with your hands. If this is the case, then either re-grip them yourself if you are confident or send them to a golf shop for a professional job.

3.) Adjust Your Grip

It is possible that the way you grip your club is causing you to develop blisters on your fingers and hands.

Take a trial-and-error approach down at the range and see which grip types cause issues and which don’t. You will then need to practice relentlessly to ensure your form doesn’t dip as a result of this new grip.

Final Thoughts

Nobody wants to develop blisters on their hands while golfing. Professional and amateur golfers alike have been using golf tape for years to prevent damage to their hands.

Use the tips and trick above to when to tape, how to properly tape your fingers, and our recommend tapes to use!

Hopefully you liked this article and found it informative. Check out our other blog posts if you liked this one!