Equipment
The great bag debate, Part 2: Single or double strap?
This was never intended to be a series, but after the first bag debate over top divider systems got rather interesting, I figured it was worth a deeper dive into the culture surrounding carry bags and what people are really looking for when they carry their clubs.
A quick detour: You can see the tight “number of dividers” race results below.
Now it’s time to settle the next debate. Are you a single or double-strap golfer?
Thanks to the recently revitalized modern minimalist approach to the game, and a number of brands offering updated designs, many golfers have reverted to carrying their clubs with a single-strap bag.
The single-strap design has been popular for as long as golfers carried their clubs and never totally went away, but when Wilson introduced the first Levitator bag in 1992, many people thought it was just a matter of time before the single strap would be gone for good.
It could be argued that Ping and its Hoofer stand bags at the collegiate level lead to a trickle-down effect once the bag adopted the original Ping dual-strap system. This brought the idea to the forefront of more golfers’ minds because of its ergonomic design, and because at one point, you couldn’t turn your head on a golf course without seeing one.
First Hoofer Bag – Single Strap
When it comes to this subject, I’m a neutral party. I walk with both a dual strap and single strap bags depending on the day. My dual strap bags are generally used when I have to carry rain gear or any other extras I may need under uncertain circumstances or during travel, while my single strap bags are generally used for nine-hole loops or rounds with fewer than 10 clubs to keep weight to an absolute minimum.
Whatever your favorite method of carrying your clubs is, I’m willing to listen to both sides of the table.
So, GolfWRXers, are you single-strap or double-strap golfers?
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We always get some great photos of some phenomenal putters at tour events and love to share them. Here are a few from the 2024 Zurich Classic that caught our eye and seemed interesting. (And as a reminder, you can check out all our photos from New Orleans here)
MJ Daffue’s Scotty Cameron T-11 Prototype
MJ is going with the new Scotty Cameron T-11 Prototype this week. The putter is a multi-piece mallet that puts an emphasis on stability with the wings on the back. Daffue’s putter does have a design that differs from retail with a monotone finish, which eliminates the black paint on the aluminum parts that we see at retail. He also has a half siteline milled into the top and an L-neck welded on for some additional toe hang. The face features a deeper milling that should offer a softer feel and slightly quieter sound.
Scotty Cameron T-7.5 Prototype
We spotted a few different Scotty Cameron Phantom models with modified rear flanges. It looks like the straight black flange was cut into a half circle for a little softer look at address. On this T-7.5, you can still see the raw aluminum from the back view, so this might have been a last-minute job to get them out on tour. The semi-circle also has a white line on it, maybe to frame the ball differently.
Alex Fitzpatrick’s Bettinardi SS16 DASS
Alex’s SS16 is made from Bettinardi’s famous D.A.S.S., or double-aged stainless steel, for a softer and more responsive feel. The face has a unique diamond pattern milling and features a logo that I feel like I have seen before, but can’t put a name to. The putter is a classic mid-mallet style with a simple, single white siteline on the top. The sole is clean with just the SS16, DASS, and a green triangle logo on it.
Steve Stricker’s Odyssey White Hot No. 2
This putter has made some amazing putts in its long career! Stricker’s White Hot No. 2 might be in the top 10 of most famous putters in golf. When you see all the dents and lead tape, you know the heel will be up and it will be sinking putts! The soft White Hot insert looks to be in good shape and has less wear on it than the rest of the putter. We don’t know how much lead tape is on the sole, but it has to be multiple layers compacted down over the years.
Doug Ghim’s Scotty Cameron T-7 Prototype
This T-7 should win the award for “best color finish” in this list with its deep chromatic bronze. It looks like Scotty added a cherry bomb dot to the heel of the deep-milled face and filled it with a very dark blue paint. The rest of the putter looks pretty stock with its single site line on the topline and twin site lines down the “fangs” of the putter. Twin 5-gram weights are installed in the sole and the putter is finished off with a gloss black double bend shaft with a fill shaft offset.
- Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 Zurich Classic
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Project X’s Denali wood shafts have been seen in more and more golf bags this year as we start off the season. As a refresher, Denali Blue is the mid-launch and mid-spin model while Denali Black is for players seeking lower launch and spin.
Denali combines great feel with stability and increased ball speed. Currently, Project X only offers Denali Blue and Black in wood shafts, but we spotted a hybrid shaft in Daniel Berger’s bag at the 2024 Zurich Classic.
The shaft looks to be a Denali Blue 105G – HY in TX flex. No word on details from Project X yet but we can assume that this is a mid-launching shaft that weighs around 105 grams in Tour X-Stiff flex.
Berger has this shaft in his TaylorMade P770 3-iron, likely for some added launch and spin to hold the green from longer distances.
Hopefully, this means we will see some more shafts coming under the Denali name in the future, as I think many of us would like to try one in a hybrid or utility iron!
- Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 Zurich Classic
- Check out in-hand photos of Daniel Berger’s full WITB here.
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- Daniel Berger what’s in the bag accurate as of the Farmers Insurance Open. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X
6-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X
Irons: TaylorMade P770 (3), TaylorMade Tour Preferred MC 2011 (4-PW)
Shafts: Project X Denali Blue 105 TX (3), Project X 6.5 (4-PW)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (50-12F), Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (56-14F), Callaway Jaws Raw (60-08C)
Shafts: Project X 6.5 (50), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (56, 60)
Putter: Odyssey Ai-One Jailbird Mini DB
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy PistolLock 1.0
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Wrap
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Check out more in-hand photos of Daniel Berger’s clubs in the forums.
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Dave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
John Daly stuns fans into silence with brutal opening tee shot on PGA Tour Champions
Things got heated at the Houston Open between Tony Finau and Alejandro Tosti. Here’s why
Justin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
Tiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
Report: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
Two star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
Report: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
Daniel Berger WITB 2024 (April)
Daniel Berger what’s in the bag accurate as of the Farmers Insurance Open. More photos from the event here. Driver:...
Rasmus Højgaard WITB 2024 (April)
Rasmus Højgaard what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic. Driver: Callaway Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees)...
Rory McIlroy WITB 2024 (April)
Rory McIlroy what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic. Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus...
Sam Burns WITB 2024 (April)
Sam Burns’ what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond S (9 degrees...
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19th Hole2 weeks agoDave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
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19th Hole3 days agoJustin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
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19th Hole2 weeks agoTiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
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19th Hole3 days ago‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
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19th Hole2 weeks agoTwo star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
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19th Hole1 week agoReport: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
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19th Hole1 week agoNeal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
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19th Hole1 week agoBrandel Chamblee has ‘no doubt’ who started the McIlroy/LIV rumor and why
Jack Nash
May 4, 2020 at 12:17 pm
I much prefer the single strap because the double is too much of a pain to set up properly on the back of my Cart.
D. McMann
May 4, 2020 at 6:04 pm
Bingo, the only time a single strap makes sense is when you’re using a cart and for that you might as well have no strap. IMO
Pelling
May 4, 2020 at 11:09 am
Single strap Jones bag. Carry with the bottom of the bag in front. Easiest way to go.
ChipNRun
May 2, 2020 at 10:06 pm
As a high school caddie, I carried double and often carried both bags on my right shoulder.
When I enlisted in the Marine Corps, the tailors had to specially sew my dress coats to hide a slight slump in my right shoulder.
Years later I became an officer. My embrace of weightlifting in between (plus no time to caddie) evened out my shoulders, and I no longer needed special tailoring.
So, the double strap is a question of balance, and minimizing skeletal strain.
(That said, I have an old bag with 70s era clubs in it, and I can’t find a replacement single strap for it!!)
Pelling
May 4, 2020 at 10:58 am
Why would you carry both bags on one shoulder? You must have been a “B” caddy…
DD
May 2, 2020 at 9:37 am
Full set-up I’m going 2, but haven’t done that in over a year, 10 club minimalist set-up is my go to and small Sunday bag with 1 strap.
gwelfgulfer
May 2, 2020 at 12:11 am
Double strap. Better to balance the weight as evenly as possible, will reduce fatigue and better on the back and shoulder. I have 3 Sunday style bags along with a number of others, and all 3 are double strap (2 Ping Moonlites and 2 SM 2.5).
Also not sure on how people have issues with getting in and out of them when you are the one to adjust the straps, it’s as easy as putting on a backpack…
Acemandrake
May 1, 2020 at 4:54 pm
I grew up using a single strap, switched to double & have returned to single.
Double is good with a full set; single is fine with less than a full set (I now carry 7 clubs).
Double straps need to be easier to enter & exit from. I hate wrestling with the second strap all day.
The single strap is a quick grab & go experience & can either be carried normally with your dominant shoulder or it can be reverse carried on your non-dominant shoulder.
15th Club
May 1, 2020 at 4:43 pm
Single.
Of course, I have more than one golf bag. A Burton staff-sized bag (plain black, no logo, no name) for riding on a cart, is where my clubs live most of the time. But I have a walking bag and it has just one strap. It has just one strap because it is so small. And that’s the whole idea.
If you need two straps, your bag is not really a walking bag. At least not for me. Simplicity.
bob
May 1, 2020 at 3:46 pm
that isnt the first hoofer. thats the l8
Richard Douglas
May 1, 2020 at 2:10 pm
The great debate: one tied shoe or two.
C’mon….
Nack Jicklaus
May 1, 2020 at 1:02 pm
For people who have had back injuries, a double strap makes a big difference.