Equipment
The great bag debate, Part 3: Stand or no stand
Welcome to the third and final installment of the great bag debate: stand or no stand.
We kicked off the series with top divider systems, and it became an interesting topic to follow since every golfer has his/her own preference for organizing clubs and the accessories.
As far as divider systems go, the market is littered with options—from minimalist all the way up to a full 14. We narrowed it down to the most popular four and the poll results can be found below.
This led me down a path into the culture surrounding carry bags and what people are really looking for when they carry their clubs. In a way, it’s kind of like shopping for a car: you pick the style you are looking for, analyze the available brands, price points, and options, test for fit, comfort, and cargo area, then scrutinize the details of every button, clasp, and handle until to choose your winner.
Just like with picking a set of new clubs, you should take the time to make sure you are getting exactly what you want.
Part two: Single or double-strap?
The subject of straps is easier to tackle because there are only two options: one strap or two, and the bags they are attached to often mirror their approach with single straps more akin to being minimal, and dual straps for larger designs—although there are plenty of smaller bags with a dual strap option too.
You may assume the easy way to settle this would be to purchase a dual strap bag and only use the one strap but just like Channing Tatum in “21 Jump Street,” “two strapping” isn’t for everyone.
Some companies do offer both strap options interchangeably on the same bag, and they are some of the most popular designs. So, if you are on the fence keep an eye out for those next time you are shopping for a bag.
I remain a neutral party since I walk with both a dual strap and single strap bags depending on the day, but GolfWRXers certainly had their voices heard and dual strap won in a landslide 3-1 vote.
After dividers and straps, there is only one more place to go when it comes to figuring out what you want in a bag and that is the stand.
Part 3: Stand or no stand
This could be the most polarizing of the three debates, especially considering the growing popularity of golfer playing less than 14 clubs (long live the half set). Using fewer clubs doesn’t automatically mean you shouldn’t use a stand bag, but considering one of the main goals is to reduce weight when carrying, the stand is usually the first thing to go.
Now, if weight management and a stand are still a priority, there are very lightweight stand bags already available under three pounds—and more to come—like the Ping Craz-E-Lite (below). But for those seeking the most minimalistic option, a stand is still something many won’t even consider.
On the other hand, the biggest pro-stand argument is from those who play early mornings when dew is at its peak: having a stand can be a necessity to assist keeping clubs dry and off the ground. The counterpoint is many of today’s modern stand-less bags are fully waterproof or have a waterproof belly to keep grips and anything else in the bag nice and dry regardless of the ground conditions.
Just like with the previous single vs. dual strap debate, I am lucky to own both styles and use them equally depending on where, when, and how I plan on playing. To me, fewer clubs late in the day means I’ll be going stand-less to minimize weight, while early morning for a more competitive round I prefer a stand to keep things off the ground and carry a few extra pieces of gear just in case.
Whatever side of the debate you “stand” on, we want to hear from you!
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- Kevin Tway what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX
5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 90 TX
Irons: Wilson Staff Utility (2), Titleist T100 (4-9)
Shafts: Mitsubishi MMT 100 TX (2), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F @51, 56-14F), SM7 (60-10S)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (48-56), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (60)
Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: Scotty Cameron Black Baby T
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Plus4
More photos of Kevin Tway’s WITB in the forums.
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Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
The timing of Lowry’s putter changeup was curious: Was he just using a Spider putter because he was paired with McIlroy, who’s been using a Spider Tour X head throughout 2024? Was Lowry just being festive because it’s the Zurich Classic, and he wanted to match his teammate? Did McIlroy let Lowry try his putter, and he liked it so much he actually switched into it?
Well, as it turns out, McIlroy’s only influence was inspiring Lowry to make more putts.
When asked if McIlroy had an influence on the putter switch, Lowry had this to say: “No, it’s actually a different putter than what he uses. Maybe there was more pressure there because I needed to hole some more putts if we wanted to win,” he said with a laugh.
To Lowry’s point, McIlroy plays the Tour X model, whereas Lowry switched into the Tour Z model, which has a sleeker shape in comparison, and the two sole weights of the club are more towards the face.
Lowry’s Spider Tour Z has a white True Path Alignment channel on the crown of his putter, which is reminiscent of Lowry’s former 2-ball designs, thus helping to provide a comfort factor despite the departure from his norm. Instead of a double-bend hosel, which Lowry used in his 2-ball putters, his new Spider Tour Z is designed with a short slant neck.
“I’ve been struggling on the greens, and I just needed something with a fresh look,” Lowry told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship. “It has a different neck on it, as well, so it moves a bit differently, but it’s similar. It has a white line on the back of it [like my 2-ball], and it’s a mallet style. So it’s not too drastic of a change.
“I just picked it up on the putting green and I liked the look of it, so I was like, ‘Let’s give it a go.’”
Read the rest of the piece over at PGATour.com.
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Equipment
Webb Simpson equipment Q&A: Titleist’s new 2-wood, 680 blade irons, and switching to a broomstick Jailbird
With seven career wins on the PGA Tour, including a U.S. Open victory, Webb Simpson is a certified veteran on the course. But he’s also a certified veteran in the equipment world, too. He’s a gearhead who truly knows his stuff, and he’s even worked closely with Titleist on making his own custom 682.WS irons.
On Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship, I caught up with Simpson to hear about his experience with Titleist’s new prototype 2-wood, how Titleist’s 680 Forged irons from 2003 ended up back in his bag, and why he’s switching into an Odyssey Ai-One Jailbird Cruiser broomstick putter this week for the first time.
Click here to read our full story about Simpson’s putter switch on PGATOUR.com’s Equipment Report, or continue reading below for my full Q&A with Simpson at Quail Hollow Club on Wednesday.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
GolfWRX: It seems like you’ve been a little all over the place with your irons in the past six months or so, and now going back to the 680’s. Is that just a comfort thing? What’s been going on with the irons?
Webb Simpson: Titleist has been so great at working with me, and R&D, on trying to get an iron that kind of modernizes the 680. And so the 682.WS took the T100 grooves, but kinda took the look and the bulk and the build of the 680’s into one club. They’re beautiful, and awesome looking. I just never hit them that well for a consistent period of time. It was probably me, but then I went to T100’s and loved them. I loved the spin, the trajectory, the yardage, but again, I never went on good runs. Going through the ground, I couldn’t feel the club as well as with the blade. So last week, I’m like, ‘Alright. I’m gonna go back more for…comfort, and see if I can get on a nice little run of ball striking.’
So that’s why I went back.
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OK, that makes sense. I know you had done some 2-wood testing recently. Is that in the bag right now?
It’s like day-by-day. I used it at Hilton Head every day. Valero, I used it one round. And this week, me and my caddie will do the book every morning, and if it’s a day where we think we need it, we’ll just put it in and take the 3-wood out. I love it because it’s a super simple swap. Like, it doesn’t really change much.
Yeah, can you tell me about that club? I mean, we don’t really know anything about it yet. You know? I haven’t hit it or anything, obviously.
It has grooves like a 3-wood. Spin is perfect. And it’s honestly, like, everything is in the middle of a 3-wood and driver number. Trajectory, spin, carry, all of it. So, a Hilton Head golf course is almost too easy to talk about because, you know, there, so many holes are driver 3-wood.
Valero, our thinking was we had two par-5’s into the wind, and we knew that it would take two great shots to get there in two. So instead of hitting driver-driver, we just put it in. And I used it on those holes.
Hilton was a little easier because it was off-the-tee kind of questions. But Colonial will be a golf course where, you know, there’s a lot of driver or 3-woods. It’s kind of like a backup putter or driver for me now. I’ll bring it to every tournament.
So it’s, like, in your locker right now, probably?
Well, it would be. It’s in my house [because Webb lives near by Quail Hollow Club, and is a member at the course.] It’s in the garage.
Oh, yeah, that’s right. Do you know what holes you might use it out here if it goes in play?
Potentially 15, depending on the wind. Second shot on 10. Could be 14 off the tee. The chances here are pretty low (that he’ll use the 2-wood). But, like, Greensboro would be an awesome club all day. I’m trying to think of any other golf courses.
There’s plenty that it’ll be a nice weapon to have.
It’s interesting, the wave of 2-woods and mini drivers. Like, it’s just really taken off on Tour, and all the companies have seemed to embrace it.
Yeah. The thing I had to learn, it took me, like, at least a week to learn about it is you gotta tee it up lower than you think. I kept teeing it up too high. You need it low, like barely higher than a 3-wood. And that was where I got optimal spin and carry. If you tee it up too high, you just don’t get as much spin and lose distance, I don’t know if that’s just a mini driver thing.
And you obviously have a Jailbird putter this week. What spurred that on?
Inconsistent putting. I’m stubborn in a lot of ways when it comes to my equipment, but I have to be open minded – I just hadn’t putted consistently well in a while. And I’m like, ‘Man, I feel my ball-striking coming along. Like I feel better; for real, better.’
If I can just get something in my hands that I’m consistent with. Being on Tour, you see it every year, guys get on little runs. I can put together four to five tournaments where I’m all the sudden back in the majors, or in the FedExCup Playoffs. You can turn things around quick out here. I’m like, ‘Man, whatever’s going to get me there, great.’
My caddie, David Cook, caddied for Akshay at the Houston Open and he putted beautifully. Then, I watched Akshay on TV at Valero, and he putted beautifully. And, I’m like, ‘I’m just going to try it.’
I’ve never tried it for more than a putt or two, and I just ordered what Akshay uses. It was pretty awkward at first, but the more I used it, the more I’m like, ‘Man, it’s pretty easy.’ And a buddy of mine who’s a rep out here, John Tyler Griffin, he helped me with some setup stuff. And he said at Hilton Head, he wasn’t putting well, then tried it, and now he makes everything. He was very confident. So I’m like, ‘Alright, I’ll try it.’”
And you’re going with it this week?
Hundred percent.
Alright, I love it. Thank you, I always love talking gear with you. Play well this week.
Thanks, man.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
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Looey
May 7, 2020 at 9:16 am
Sun mountain 2.5 is almost perfect. Plenty of room. Plenty of pockets. And as long as you don’t fill up the pockets, the bag is very light. It has a double strap which in my opinion should be more easily convertible to a single strap.
However, the original Joannes bag with just three pockets and adequate room for a full or almost full set is perfect even though it has no stand. The single strap is well padded and can easily be carried for nine or 18 holes. Score is a 10 on the coolness scale!
15th Club
May 6, 2020 at 11:16 pm
I can understand some North American golfers’ failure to understand why a carry bag would not have a built-in stand.
They have never played in Scotland when the wind is really up.
My last trip to Scotland; my old Ogio Reilly got blown over in heavy East Lothian wind and both legs were broken. It’s not s stand bag anymore.
ChipNRun
May 6, 2020 at 8:07 pm
In the pre-stand days, I used to hate:
* Laying bag down on ground on muddy days.
* Seeing trace fertilizer on my bag and golf shirt after a round on spreading day.
* Picking the bag up and down 10 times to switch clubs when hitting a bucket of range balls.
These days, I’m more likely to carry my bag on a par 3 course or a gently rolling nine-hole layout because I have stand bag. With the stand bag, raising and lowering onto shoulders takes half the energy as picking a bag up off the ground.
Yes, I like stand bags.
Fergie
May 6, 2020 at 2:10 pm
My problem with stand bags is that they tend to have smaller diameters. I use +1/8 oversize grips and like 14 way dividers, so I’ve never found a stand bag that allows me to pull a club without it getting stuck. I also use a trolly, and the hinge that holds the stand legs gets in the way of securing the bag at the top.
ChipNRun
May 6, 2020 at 7:55 pm
Understand your point. My brother has jumbo grips on his clubs. He is searching for ANY carry bag that will allow the thicker grips to go in and out of the bat without hanging up.
Greg V
May 6, 2020 at 12:27 pm
The Sun Moutain 3.5 Plus is a lovely, light walking stand bag. I use that most often, but I also mix it up with a Ping Moonlite.
Pelling
May 6, 2020 at 12:21 pm
Single strap, single divider. No stand. Jones makes a great bag. MacKenzie, too, if you have money to blow. Have a great Mizuno Sunday bag, Ping are great, Titleist, too. Try walking, take 7-8 clubs. Get some exercise. Bending over is working the core.
BadaBing
May 6, 2020 at 11:46 am
I’m not a golfer, I’m an athlete. Bending to pick up my bag doesn’t bother me, carrying a stand bag doesn’t bother me. I prefer one strap bag with no stand. My moon-lite keeps the grips dry and allows me to add or remove a strap.
rob
May 6, 2020 at 11:08 am
Walking without a stand bag is nuts. i dont care how light the standless bag is, the additional weight of a stand is easily offset by not having to bend all the way to the ground after every shot.
Stand bag all the way if you are walking
stanley
May 6, 2020 at 11:14 am
yea i agree with this guy
Jarlaxle
May 6, 2020 at 12:06 pm
If that were the case, wouldn’t you expect to see stands on the bags carried on Tour? I mean, a stand would be even less of a weight factor since those bags are already so heavy. And because they are so heavy, not having to lift them off the ground would be an even bigger advantage.
rfo
May 6, 2020 at 12:22 pm
Its a completely different story when you aren’t the one thats carrying the bag.
ChipNRun
May 7, 2020 at 12:41 am
I worked as a course marshal at the 2013 PGA Senior Championship at Bellerive CC in St. Louis, won by Koki Idiki of Japan. At least half the players had medium-weight stand bags, not huge staff bags.
In 2017, I caddied in the Decatur/Forsyth (IL) tournament on the LPGA developmental Symetra Tour. In this event, well over half the women had lighter carry stand bags. (In some events, they may end up without a caddie).
My player had a lightweight Ping stand bag. Problem was, she traveled so light that the bag’s stand legs wouldn’t deploy unless I pressed down on the bag to engage the base plate. My own bag deploys easily because it’s 10 pounds (?) heavier.
Nick
May 6, 2020 at 10:16 am
Love my PING Moonlite, I can see myself gaming this model for years to come. I like the Jones Carry Bag look too though so either would do it for me. Plus they fit on carts (walking and riding) just fine. Lastly with a 12 club set up, minimal tangle among grips, I am with Jordan, less is more!
SV
May 6, 2020 at 9:53 am
At this point in my life I can no longer carry. Prior to this my body told me that 2 straps and a stand are the way to go. Spread the weight and don’t bend over so much.
Tee Lassar
May 6, 2020 at 9:42 am
I voted for stand overall but I am fortunate enough to have both options stand and no stand. No question stand bags are the favorite for early morning dew-sweeping rounds or rain days. Weight is not the issue as there are several stand bags under 3 lbs .
Best of both worlds: Beeyootiful Mackenzie single strap bag with no stand—acccesorized with a simple inexpensive “x” shaped lightweight wood “trestle” for those times when a stand is needed. Simply the best
Jarlaxle
May 6, 2020 at 12:14 pm
Agree, think the author missed the mark by ignoring trestle sticks. Best of both worlds IMO. Toss them in the bag if its wet or leave them at home if its dry.
I would also argue that, in general, non-stand bags tend to be made of more durable materials that will hold up better over time because they aren’t trying to save every little gram of weight. I looked long and hard at the Craz-E and the Mizuno K1-LO but what put me off was the fact that they were so lightly built it seemed highly unlikely to me that they would still be in good shape after a few years. There are better built bags that could last a long time (like a Ping Hoofer light for example) but they are 5 lbs or more.
I am making the switch because I like to carry and I want bag that will get better with age, not deteriorate.
Funkaholic
May 6, 2020 at 9:40 am
Here in north Georgia, it is too hilly to walk, cart bag is a must and 14 way divider is the only way to go. I rarely ever tote my whole bag to the range unless I drive it there before a round. I just grab a couple of irons when I am working on fundamentals and spend the majority of my practice time chipping and putting.
Eric
May 6, 2020 at 9:27 am
I love the look of the sunday/no stand bag- particularly the jones player series. Just have a hard time telling my back we’ll be walking 18 holes and bending over between 75-85 times!
golfraven
May 6, 2020 at 9:26 am
Tried pencil bag but just did not work for me so ditched it (can’t be bothered that my clubs get soaked) and got a traditional standbag (stadry) – 5-6 dividers. Otherwise I have a smaller staff bag which I use with a pushcart.
tee l
May 6, 2020 at 1:03 pm
Can’t imagine why you would need a staff bag unless you are on a staff or on tour. Why not just drive an SUV onto the course if you need that big a bag!
Jordan
May 6, 2020 at 9:15 am
Less is more. 14 divider stand bags are nuts. There is a simple beauty to the Jones carry bags. I’m slowly beginning to use my Hoofer only to go the range and my Jones bag is my playing bag.