It’s crucial to pick a bag that suits your play and your body.
There are tons of bags to choose from, each with different capabilities when it comes to weight and storage, and picking one can be quite the hassle.
This article will go over which types of bags there are and what they weigh, what golf clubs weigh and why the club’s weight is important, and lastly, which kind of bag you should pick.
How Much Is a Bag’s Weight Without Clubs?
The average weight is around 6 pounds.
When it comes to determining the weight of a golf bag, the design is what primarily impacts the weight. There are five types of bags: tour bags, cart bags, stand bags, pencil bags, and travel bags, each suited for different situations.
Tour Bags
A tour bag weighs about 10 pounds without any clubs.
Tour bags are the bags used by professional golfers on the PGA tour. They are carried by the golfer’s caddie, meaning that they can be heavier than regular bags – which they are. Being the largest type of bag by far, tour bags have space for everything from the clubs to towels. However, this extra space comes with a price.
Cart Bags
Cart bags weigh about 6 pounds when empty.
Cart bags are smaller versions of the tour bag, and are designed to be pushed around in a pull cart (push cart). They also have a lot of room and can fit a complete set of clubs, gloves, plenty of golf balls, and more. Constantly having to use a trolley to push them around can be a bit tedious, especially if you need to rent one, but they are significantly lighter than tour bags.
Stand Bags
They are only slightly lighter than cart bags, meaning that stand bags weigh about 5 pounds, but the weight is distributed evenly because of their backpack design, making them quite comfortable to carry around. Stand bags are slightly different than the two previously mentioned, as they have retractable legs that let you place the bag on the ground. These types of bags are designed to be carried as a backpack, meaning that you don’t have to use a trolley.
Pencil Bags
Pencil bags usually weigh about 2 pounds.
Pencil bags also have retractable legs and a backpack design, but they are smaller and lighter than stand bags. While they don’t have space for many golf balls and other equipment, they can carry a complete set of fourteen golf clubs. These bags are straightforward and comfortable to carry around, even for an entire round of golf, but unfortunately, they aren’t waterproof, meaning that rain can significantly add weight.
How Much Does a Golf Travel Bag Weigh?
Travel bags weigh around 2-3 pounds.
Exactly how much they weigh depends on the fabric used, as soft cases are much lighter than hard ones, but expect them to weigh similarly to pencil bags.
Travel bags are some of the lightest bags out there, and there’s a reason for that: With basically no technology, they don’t need the bulky technology needed to “stand up” on regular golf bags.
Travel bags were initially designed for people who traveled a lot and wanted to bring their clubs easily onto airplanes, but they can also be used rarely by people who are sensitive to weight in-a-pinch out on the driving range.
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How Much Is a Bag’s Weight With Clubs?
Most of the golf bag’s weight comes from the clubs and not the bag. Golf clubs can weigh very differently depending on the shafts, among other things.
Many golfers also don’t carry a complete set of fourteen clubs, but generally speaking, a set of golf clubs has an average weight of about 15 pounds.
However, you can’t just add these 15 pounds to the bag weight as the full bag comes with different weight add-ons. For example, Tour bags weigh about 50 pounds when full because they have so many things in the bag. Pros have plenty of golf balls, towels, gloves, rain gear, and sometimes snacks.
Ordinary bags usually don’t weigh this much, as they would simply be too heavy for people to carry themselves. Expect an average golf bag to weigh about 25-30 pounds when filled with clubs and other miscellaneous things.
This goes for both cart and stand bags. Lighter bags on the other hand only weigh about 15-20 pounds with a full set of clubs, as the bags are lighter and less stuff is carried.
How Much Do Golf Clubs Weigh?
Golf club weight ranges from between 0.5 pounds and 3 pounds. The average weight of a golf club is determined by three factors: the head weight, shaft weight, and grip weight.
As you know, there are various kinds of clubs in the average club set. Each one has its own weight range. In this section, we’ll explore the average weight of each golf club. Let’s get to it, shall we?
1. Driver
Otherwise known as a 1-wood, this is the longest golf club in the set. Despite the length, the driver is a lot lighter than other clubs. It weighs approximately 310 grams (0.68 pounds). To put this into perspective, it has a head weight of 180 grams (0.40 pounds), a shaft weight of 80 grams (0.18 pounds) and a grip weight of 50 grams (0.11 pounds).
2. Woods
Woods can be heavier than the drivers in some circumstances. The average 3-wood weighs approximately 300 grams, or 0.73 pounds. The heaviest, which is the 7-wood, weighs about 350 grams or 0.77 pounds. The head weights of 7-wood, 5-wood, and 3-wood are 210 grams (0.46 pounds), 200 grams (0.44 pounds), and 190 grams (0.42 pounds) respectively. All woods have a shaft weight of 90 grams (0.20 pounds) and a grip weight of 50 grams (0.11 pounds).
3. Irons
Irons are one of the most important clubs in the golf set. The lightest iron is the 3-iron and it weighs approximately 400 grams (0.88 pounds). The heaviest, the 9-iron, weighs approximately 440 grams (0.97 pounds). The weight variation in the irons is mainly due to the different head weights of each iron. Here are the irons and their respective head weights (from heaviest to lighest):
- 9-iron: 270 grams (0.60 pounds)
- 8-iron: 265 grams (0.58 pounds)
- 7-iron: 258 grams (0.57 pounds)
- 6-iron: 251 grams (0.55 pounds)
- 5-iron: 244 grams (0.54 pounds)
- 4-iron: 237 grams (0.52 pounds)
- 3-iron: 230 grams (0.51 pounds)
Irons have a uniform grip weight of 50 grams (0.11 pounds) and a shaft weight of 120 grams (0.26 pounds).
4. Wedge
Although wedges are typically categorized as irons, they’re just a part of the club’s set. They’re the heaviest part of the iron mainly due to their massive clubhead. On average, a wedge weight about 470 grams or 1.03 pounds. They have a head weight of 300 grams or 0.66 pounds, a shaft weight of 120 grams or 0.26 pounds, and a grip weight of 50 grams 0.11 pounds.
5. Putter
The putters are the heaviest clubs in the club set. They weigh a whopping 510 grams or 1.1 pounds, which is quite impressive. They have a head weight of 340 grams (0.75 pounds), a shaft weight of 120 grams and a grip weight of 50 grams (0.11 pounds).
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Can Certain Clubs Make the Bag Heavier? – Factors For Club Weight
The weight of the golf club is based on the following things: the grip weight, the head weight, the shaft weight, and the club length. Grips vary greatly when it comes to weight, with the lowest weighing about 0.06 pounds, and the heaviest weighing about 0.22 pounds.
The head’s weight is determined based on two things: the brand of the club and the design style.
Different brands use different materials.
Some club makers use patented materials, meaning that their clubs can be quite different from others. The design of the head can also impact the weight, but the difference is usually relatively small.
The shaft’s weight makes the biggest difference out of the bunch, and is entirely determined on the material used. Golf club shafts come in either steel or graphite, with graphite being significantly lighter. However, they are also quite a bit more expensive. To generalize, a golf club with a total lower weight will help most golfers swing faster and hit the ball further.
Weight Difference Between Club Shafts – Does It Matter?
Choosing which shaft you should play with is very individual, but we’ll do our best to give you some insight. There are two kinds of golf shafts: steel shafts and graphite shafts. Graphite shafts are quite a bit lighter, but tend to be more expensive.
Because the weight of the golf club impacts the golf swing, it’s crucial to find out which type of club best suits your game. Some golfers will be better served with a steel-shafted golf club since it’s heavier.
A heavier club can activate more muscles, which creates a higher swing speed and more carry distance.
However, most golfers out there are better off with lighter clubs and are therefore better served with graphite shafts. If you think of a race car, taking weight out of the vehicle will allow it to move faster, which is why Formula 1 cars weigh next to nothing. The same typically goes for golf clubs and makes graphite shafts a better pick for many.
How to Weigh Your Golf Bag
Weighing a full golf bag isn’t an easy task. You can place it on a standard scale and see precisely what it weighs, although this process can be a bit tedious.
An easier approach will be to google what your bag weighs, which should be easily found on the manufacturer’s website. Then you can use the information found in this article to determine what it approximately weighs.
The Lightest Golf Bags Available
There are plenty of great golf bag alternatives on the market, but to make your decision easier we’ll cover some of the lightest bags to choose from.
Coming in at just under 3 pounds, the Titleist Players 4 Carbon Stand Bag is an excellent choice. It features a very minimal design with the Titleist logo very apparent. This bag has carbon fiber legs that are strong and sturdy but also very light. There’s also an exterior water bottle pocket and a 4-way top cuff for easy club access.
With a sleek design, the Ping Hoofer Stand Bag offers a light bag experience while still having surprisingly good storage. Weighing only 3 pounds, this bag is super light and also water-resistant, making it a treat on rainy days. It has a 4-way top cuff to make clubs easily accessible, while also limiting the clubs from annoyingly clattering around.
There’s more than enough room for a few extra golf balls and other necessary equipment with seven pockets.
Weighing 5.5 pounds, the TaylorMade Cart Lite Bag weighs less than many stand bags. This cart bag is simple but effective in a subtle yet stylish design. All the bag’s pockets are in the front, making them easily accessible at all times.
This bag comes with a 14-way padded divider, meaning that clubs are easily sorted and protected at all times. It also has grab handles on the top and the bottom for easy maneuverability. As a bonus, the bag has a comfortable shoulder strap for when you need to carry it.
Conclusion: Research by Tellmemoregolf.com
The weight of your golf bag doesn’t really matter that much, but what does matter is that you find it comfortable.
Whether you carry your bag yourself, push it around in a trolley, or just leave it in the golf cart, carrying your golf bag should never be a problem. If you ever struggle with your bag, then consider investing in a new one to make your time out on the golf course more enjoyable.
Thank you for reading this article brought by the team at TellMeMoreGolf.com – your golf comparison site.
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