Equipment

The great bag debate, Part 2: Single or double strap?

Published

6 years ago

May 1, 2020

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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Ryan Barath

Ryan Barath is a club-fitter & master club builder with more than 17 years of experience working with golfers of all skill levels, including PGA Tour players. He is the former Build Shop Manager & Social Media Coordinator for Modern Golf. He now works independently from his home shop and is a member of advisory panels to a select number of golf equipment manufacturers. You can find Ryan on Twitter and Instagram where he's always willing to chat golf, and share his passion for club building, course architecture and wedge grinding.

12 Comments

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.

Reply Report comment
- 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
  
  Reply Report comment
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.

Reply Report comment
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!!)

Reply Report comment
- Pelling
  
  May 4, 2020 at 10:58 am
  
  Why would you carry both bags on one shoulder? You must have been a “B” caddy…
  
  Reply Report comment
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.

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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…

Reply Report comment
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.

Reply Report comment
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.

Reply Report comment
bob

May 1, 2020 at 3:46 pm

that isnt the first hoofer. thats the l8

Reply Report comment
Richard Douglas

May 1, 2020 at 2:10 pm

The great debate: one tied shoe or two.

C’mon….

Reply Report comment
Nack Jicklaus

May 1, 2020 at 1:02 pm

For people who have had back injuries, a double strap makes a big difference.

Reply Report comment

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Equipment

Slab city on the Korn Ferry Tour — Lead Tape Report

Published

19 hours ago

Jun 10, 2026

Andrew Von Lossow

This week, we have our Tour Photographer, Greg Moore, on the ground at the OccuNet Classic at Tascosa Golf Club in Amarillo, Texas, for the 14th event of the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour season. With that, we see some great things in the Lead Tape Report as we roll into Amarillo.

Joel Thelen

Monday Qualifier, Joel Thelen is in the field this week. He has played on the Korn Ferry Tour for a full season in 2023, and he is back in action this week. A couple of clubs caught my eye this week in his bag.

First off: His trusted Titleist 816 H2 hybrid. This club came out in October of 2015, and it still remains strong in the bag. Also, take a look at this Odyssey White Hot OG 7, putting a capital S in the 7S model. This custom neck has some impressive lean for an arm-lock-style putter. The bottom of the putter is covered in tape for optimal weighting.

Mitchell Meissner

Taking a look at Mitchell Meissner’s bag this week, we have some great lead tape coverage. Top to bottom working from fairway metals, irons, and wedges. We can see on the short irons and wedges that there is tape at the base of the grip, adding a little counterbalance. Along with that, some tape on the short irons and wedges as well. Moving to his putter, he rolls the Odyssey 7 Bird putter. Meissner putts left-handed and strikes the ball right-handed.

Whats in the Bag

Bud Cauley WITB 2026 (June)

Published

20 hours ago

Jun 10, 2026

Will Schube

Bud Cauley had >14 clubs in his bag when photographed prior to the Memorial Tournament.

Driver: Titleist GTS2 (8 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X

3-wood: Titleist GTS3 (15 degrees, B1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei 1K Pro Red 70 TX

7-wood: Titleist GTS3 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei 1K Pro Red 80 TX

Irons: Titleist U505 (3), Titleist 620 MB (4-9)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 8 X, True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F), WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putters: Scotty Cameron Tour Prototype, Scotty Cameron GOLO 6.3 Prototype

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Align

Ball: Titleist Pro V1

See more in-hand photos of Bud Cauley’s clubs here.

Equipment

Name every set of irons you’ve owned – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

20 hours ago

Jun 10, 2026

Will Schube

In our forums, one user has offered up a prompt for the true sickos, inviting fellow forum members to share every set of irons they’ve ever owned. As to be expected, this is a lengthy forum topic.

@Lamosteve began:

Can you name every set of irons you’ve owned? Here’s mine

Spalding Dots
Spalding Eclipse
Ram Lazer FX
Lynx Parallax
Mizuno EZ Comp
Ben Hogans
Cleveland CG Red
Taylor Made R9s
PING i20
PING iE1
Taylor Made M6

Our members in the forum have been offering up their own collections. Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

macedan: “Started with a hand-me-down Golden Bear set from my brother when I was in high school, never really played more than once a year or got into the game until about summer of 2017. First purchased a set of Cleveland CG4’s (I actually really miss this set sometimes, soft & not terribly large for a GI iron), moved into Nike Vapor Fly’s by the end of the year. Those lasted until spring of 18 when I decided I wanted new, so I traded them in for TM Rbladez. Honestly, although I liked the Rbladez, poor decision on my part, I think this was really about the only time so far that after a week or two I was kicking myself for not staying with what I had. Rbladez stayed with me until late last summer when I switched to P790’s and (knock on wood) I am hoping this will be my longest lasting set.”
JimmyC59: “MacGregor Jack Nicklaus Triple Crown. Palmer The Standard. Still play these.”
jgrzask: “Tommy Armour 845u
Mizuno MP-32
Mizuno MP-33 (2 sets)
Bridgestone J33cb – still own
Srixon i-302 (2 sets) – still own
Tourstage X-Blades – still own
Mizuno Hot Metal – still own
Nike Forged Blades – still own
Titleist 714 AP1 – still own
Cobra Forged SS – still own”

Entire Thread: “Name every set of irons you’ve owned.”