Jim Von Lossow first noticed lead tape while working at a club in his early 20s. Another pro was using it on irons, and the added weight caught his attention.
Von Lossow says that without tape, he would struggle to feel where the clubhead is. The added weight shapes his tempo and helps him judge how the club moves through the swing.
The PGA Tournament Players Championship took place on March 23, 1980, and Lee Trevino won. The historical listing does not mention Jim Von Lossow.
How lead tape changes feel and tempo
Von Lossow made the tape part of his own setup after seeing that other pro use it. He says the extra weight helps him feel the club and encourages a slower takeaway. An historical tournament listing records the 1980 event and its winner, but says nothing about Von Lossow's playing history.
For him, that physical feedback is central to his rhythm. Lead tape is an adjustment he relies on, not a universal fix. Available search results turned up no independent official statements confirming its effects on his tempo or clubhead awareness.
Available search results did not independently verify the account that Jim Von Lossow played on the PGA Tour in 1979-1980. They also did not confirm his current status, workshop activity, or official statements about lead tape; that absence of confirmation does not establish that the claims are false.
The biographical account identifies Von Lossow as a PGA Life Member and former PGA Tour player from 1979 to 1980. It says he owned and operated Von's Golf and Putter Studio in Seattle for 30 years. Available results did not independently confirm those details.
The same account describes him as retired, playing weekly games in Spokane and continuing to tune clubs in his workshop. His current status and workshop activity could not be independently verified. On Lead Tape Chronicles, he says he especially enjoys photos of touring pros using tape on putters and other clubs, and seeing tape worn from use.
In Von Lossow's account, added weight helps him feel the clubhead and settle his tempo. He also uses the tape to assess how equipment behaves. Available search results did not turn up independent official statements confirming those effects.
