Ditch the cart and learn how to carry a golf bag comfortably, even if the bag is loaded with clubs, balls, and other gear that weigh 15-25 pounds… (Advice from guest author, Carolyn Heller of GolfDepend’s.)
Golf is about playing the right clubs, hitting long and straight, sinking more putts, etc. But have you ever thought that the game could also be about knowing very well how to carry a golf bag?
You must be wondering why such a simple topic needs to be discussed. Why can’t you just swing the bag over the shoulder and then that’s all, right? If you do that, in complete honesty, expect to deal with shoulder and back pain within only an hour of walking the golf course.
So why don’t you consider going through this article to make sure that your round of golf doesn’t get compromised because of how you carry your golf bag. It’s time to find out the most comfortable and safest way to lug around your clubs while also reaping the health benefits of walking the golf course.
Prepare Your Golf Bag First
Golf Depend’s Carolyn Heller offers the 4 most useful tips to first set the foundation right before you decide to carry it along with you for your next round of golf.
- Empty Your Golf Bag and Adjust Its Strap Make early, much-needed adjustments because it’s less frustrating and more convenient to adjust an empty golf bag than one loaded with clubs. And these adjustments mostly pertain to the shoulder strap of the bag. Depending on your height and personal preferences, adjust the length of the strap so the golf bag fits your body frame the most comfortably.
- Load Your Golf Clubs Properly Now it’s time to start loading your precious golf clubs. The heavier, longer clubs go first – always remember that. As to where to store them in the golf bag, the compartments nearest to the strap are made for the heaviest weighted clubs. This way, those golf clubs sit closer and higher for the most amount of protection.
Moving on to your long irons, these should be placed in the middle. And then the shorter irons take up the remaining space in other compartments.
But then don’t just dump it all in there. Arrange the smaller-sized golf clubs in a way that the lightest ones are at the bottom. And you do this because you want to prevent the unnecessary, uncomfortable backward-forward movement and bouncing of the golf clubs at the time of walking. - Distribute Your Golf Accessories Why not factor in essential items like golf balls, tees, etc.? They do seem extremely lightweight and small in comparison to your giant golf clubs. But then when it comes to lugging them around in your bag for so many hours, they can really become a huge pain in the shoulder and spine (and maybe even your backside!).
Make sure to distribute these golf accessories evenly across your golf bag. You want the weight of everything to feel well balanced and not tip over to one side, no matter what side it is. The ultimate goal here is to feel comfortable carrying the bag throughout your whole round of golf. - Make Some Final Adjustments How else to find out if your golf bag, after all the strap adjustment, loading of the golf clubs, and evenly distributing the golf accessories, is comfortable to carry than to carry it! So strap on your loaded golf bag over your shoulder and check if it’s alright.
Do some spots feel heavier than the others? If so, then re-arrange those clubs to reach a point where the bag feels the most comfortable to lug around for an extended period of time.
Carrying A Single-Strap Golf Bag
You know your golf bag has been loaded properly when it isn’t lopsided because of any extra weight. And you have to be mindful of this. Otherwise, your posture as well as your back could get really messed up. So to avoid any lop-sidedness, evenly distribute all your golf gear across the bag.
Golf clubs in a golf bag have to be arranged a certain way, right? These too should be stored in a manner that distributes the weight throughout the bag evenly.
It’s very important to keep this in mind if you want to avoid back problems in the long run. Speaking of which, did you know that golfers perform flexibility training exercises in order to prevent injuries? And if you’re a part of that community too, then you could just wreck the whole thing for yourself if you don’t know how to properly carry your golf bag.
Even a thing as simple as adjusting the shoulder strap is crucial, yet often neglected. After all, isn’t the strap the only point of contact between your body and the golf bag? In that case, the fit here should feel the most comfortable. And the perfect fit can only be achieved through proper, and sometimes even necessary, shoulder strap length adjustments.
Carrying A Two-Strap Golf Bag
Nothing much changes in the case of a double strap attached to the golf bag. The weight of your golf clubs stored inside the bag ought to be well distributed, no doubt.
But what’s different is that golf stand bags with double straps demand more attention in terms of weight distribution. So make sure the job’s well done if you wish to avoid posture and back problems.
There’s no harm in carrying your loaded golf bag before you actually get to the golf course. Make it a point to check the strap length. So if it’s uncomfortable, you can just adjust it then and there and not during gameplay.
But then what is the proper shoulder strap length to begin with? Your golf bag higher up the back when the straps are slung over your shoulder – that’s a good enough length. You don’t want excessive slack with the straps since that’s a bad idea for a healthy body posture.
But then what is the proper shoulder strap length to begin with? Your golf bag higher up the back when the straps are slung over your shoulder – that’s a good enough length. You don’t want excessive slack with the straps since that’s a bad idea for a healthy body posture.
Most Important Tip for When Carrying A Golf Bag
This is something that is discussed in almost every such post. And here it is – don’t make the mistake of not lifting your golf bag with your legs. Stand tall with the chest and roll back your shoulders. Now that’s a correct posture!
It’s not uncommon to spot golfers slouching over, meaning shoulders that are rolled forward. This is a very bad posture to maintain for such a long time on the golf course (2-4 hours). It’s not good for the spine as well as your joints.
So instead lift using your legs, particularly if the golf bag is heavy.
Last Words
For starters, why care about carrying the golf bag properly? What good is that going to do in terms of your performance on the course? Well, if an incorrect golf stance can ruin your swing movement, then incorrect posture-induced pain and discomfort also tend to mess with how you play your round.
You’re bound to get tired sooner if you’re lugging around those heavy golf clubs the wrong way. Golf isn’t such a physically challenging game we know, but then why invite muscle soreness, fatigue, joint pain, etc. unnecessarily. All of this can be just as easily avoided so long as you store your golf clubs in the right manner and also adjust the shoulder strap.
Carolyn Heller, founder of the resourceful blog Golf Depends, understands golf equipment and swing concepts. As a professional golf coach, she has taught hundreds of lessons to golfers, no matter their skills and handicap level. And now she also chooses to share her extensive knowledge through fact-based instructional and informational web content.”
Carolyn Heller, founder of the resourceful blog Golf Depends, understands golf equipment and swing concepts. As a professional golf coach, she has taught hundreds of lessons to golfers, no matter their skills and handicap level. And now she also chooses to share her extensive knowledge through fact-based instructional and informational web content.”
