Tested: 5 Best Impact Bags To Improve Your Golf Swing
Meet Jake
Jake was a competitive golfer for over a decade dating back to the days of being the Captain of his high school golf team. He has played more than 200 courses across 32 different states in the US. Now semi-retired, Jake continues to golf 3-4 days a week with a current 2 handicap, gives golf lessons to his friends and family, and provides a wealth of knowledge to Golf Circuit from his competitive playing days. Jake combines practical expertise with technical knowledge to create golfing strategies and training techniques for both beginners and scratch golfers.
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As golfers, we are always looking for ways to improve our game, and impact bags may be just the thing to help dial in our swing.
The moment of impact will make all the difference in any avid golfers game. Impact bags simulate real world contact while allowing you to see exactly how you are connecting with the ball.
When using a smash bag, the moment of impact can be witnessed much easier than hitting a bucket of balls on the range. Let’s dive deeper into what an impact bag can do for you and who we recommend for the best improvement of your overall game.
What are the benefits of using golf impact bags?
Golf is an incredible sport – or hobby – enjoyed by people all over the world. There are many different aspects to the game that can make it both challenging and enjoyable.
One of these aspects is the impact of the ball against the club – the angle upon contact. This has a significant effect on how well or poorly you will play the game.
The use of an impact bag or smash bag can be beneficial to your golf game in many ways. Being able to slow things down and see why you have that hard draw or slice certainly doesn’t hurt. Just watch the video below to see.
Functionally, you can use your smash bag at home without causing a serious issue with the neighbors. When you have a few minutes, you can simply break out your impact bag and work on your swing.
This makes the smash bag the perfect training tool for people who don’t have the time to hit the range every day – those who live on the go. With this tool, you are able to get some practice right at home whenever you can fit it in.
Smash Bags: Myths, Legends and Truths
Many golfers have the mistaken belief that they need to hit their impact bag as hard as they can to get results. That couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, that’s a great way to injure yourself.
The best impact bags are designed to help you get a better understanding of your swing, not simply to increase your overall strength. There are drills to increase your swing speed, including regular workouts at the gym or time in at the driving range.
It’s advised that you fill your smash bag to where there is some give to avoid injury as well as swing at half speed/strength. An overstuffed impact bag with a full strength swing is a recipe for disaster.
Training Your Body to Fix Your Swing
A lot of golf is muscle memory and exercise. You need to be in golf shape to have good days on the course. Think about it like doing push ups, if you do 25 every day you will undoubtedly see a difference in both your physique and overall fitness.
Impact bags are like the push ups of the golf world, only they also help you hone in your swing at the moment of contact. If you are a boxer, you are going to use a speed and an eyeball bag to help with hand eye coordination as well as fitness.
The smash bag is based on that same premise. The more swings you get in, the better your overall game will become.
Practice Makes All the Difference
Any coach will tell you that practice makes perfect and having a tool like the impact bag allows you to practice whenever you want.
Bruce Lee once said that he fears not the man that knows 10,000 kicks, but the man who practices one kick 10,000 times. It’s the same with your golf swing.
Mastering the moment of contact will take your game to another level. That happens first with understanding what your swing looks like when it connects with the ball.
People try a million methods to fix that pull or annoying draw. So much of it comes back to the moment of impact – the second you make contact with the ball.
With a smash bag you can start to understand exactly what is happening at that moment of contact. You can hit hundreds of buckets at the driving range and still not see what you need to fix.
With an impact bag, you will see precisely where your club head is at that very moment. From there you can start to adjust your swing and hit more fairways and greens.
Something to keep in mind is that many of the best impact bags out there have an anchor point. Why does this matter?
Because by blocking the bag from forward movement it will either break left, right or stay straight up against the object (a thin pole works best) you have used to anchor it with.
You want the smash bag to stay in position once you have made contact with it. If it is breaking left or right then you need to adjust your swing accordingly to accommodate.
5 Best Impact Bags in 2022
So what are the best impact bags to help you improve your game and take strokes off that scorecard? Let’s take that first swing and start the perfect round!
SKLZ Smash Bag Golf Swing Trainer
Key Features:
- Lightweight
- Visual target map for easy understanding of swing patterns
- Nylon and PVC construction
- Product of the USA
This square impact bag is certainly a popular choice among many golfers. With a 4 star rating and over 1,400 reviews on Amazon, the SKLZ Smash Bag weighs in among the top five all around impact bags on the market.
This Nylon and PVC smash bag is made in the USA with imported materials. Some things to keep in mind: Once your bag arrives you might want to take a trip to the thrift store and pick up some materials such as old clothes or discarded towels.
Make sure you don’t over stuff your impact bag and leave a little room for give. If your bag is too dense then you risk injuring yourself on impact.
Pros:
- The price point is hard to beat with the quality of this impact bag
- USA based product
- Very highly rated by golfers with over 1000 reviews
- Anchor for better understanding of your shots
- Among the most reviewed smash bags online
- Portability
- User friendly
Cons:
- Some customers have reported that this impact bag rips or tears easily
- Has been reported to break down in short periods with intense use
TuhooMall Power Smash Impact Bag
Key Features:
- Designed with golf science in mind
- Easy to use
- Durable construction
- 1 year warranty
Next on our list of popular impact bags is the TuhooMall Power Smash. This slightly rounded bag offers a different feel than its square compatriots.
Like anything in golf, it’s all about feel. What works for you may not work for another golfer. The TuhooMall comes in as the least expensive smash bag on our list at just $24.99 all up.
Considering the 1 year warranty and the price it’s no wonder this impact bag has a 4.5 star rating with over 300 reviews and is among the top selling smash bags on the market.
Pros:
- 4.5 star rating
- Over three hundred reviews to attest to its quality
- Quality guarantee
- Bright yellow color makes it easy to see where the club face connects with the bag
- Price
Cons:
- Some golfers were upset that it didn’t come prefilled
- There are some reports that its durability is suspect, however the warranty solves this problem
Best Golf Impact Bag – Eyeline Golf Impact Cube
Key Features:
- 4 different sides for multiple attack angles
- Bag can be flipped for more angles
- Durable construction
- Highly rated in online reviews
The Eyeline Golf Impact Cube has it all. With multiple attack angles to simulate real world golf impact, construction of ballistic nylon with both square and rounded sides – The Eyeline Cube is bar none one of the best impact bags available today.
Don’t let the price deter you. Unlike many of its competitors, you can flip the Eyeline bag upside down to get different angles and improve your game. With multiple points designed for wedges, irons, woods and drivers – this revolutionary bag is a must have for any avid golfer.
The dynamics of power when it comes to your swing can be greatly improved with this well designed impact bag.
Pros:
- Forward thinking design
- Great for use with all club types
- Ballistic nylon construction
- Multiple impact angles make for a more realistic golf feel
- Durability
- Great reviews from other golfers
Cons:
- This product does not have many reviews yet online
Partage Hitting Bag
Key Features:
- Scientific design based around real world golf
- Waterproof
- PVC construction
- One year quality warranty
This mid tier impact bag will only set you back under thirty dollars and will certainly do the trick. A durable and easy to use impact bag, this is a great entry level tool to improve your game.
The bag is made of tough PVC material, so it can stand up to a lot of swings. As with many of the other impact bags on the market, do not fill it with sand, rocks or other things such as concrete. You will certainly hurt yourself if you do.
Partage golf impact bags are among the best middle tier smash bags you will find. If you are new to this kind of golf training, this may be the right choice for you – especially if you are on a budget.
Pros:
- 4.5 star rating based on over two hundred reviews
- Sleek design
- One year satisfaction guarantee
- Weatherproof
Cons:
- There are a few reviews that state this impact bag needed replacement after just over one year of use
Me and My Golf Training Bag
Key Features:
- Sturdy design
- Reinforced carry handle
- Tear resistant PVC construction
Like many of the best impact bags out there, the Me and My Golf Training bag is a great way to stay in golf shape. The other part of that sentence is improving your shape by utilizing this tool.
This impact bag is a straight forward tool with a durable build, one that will help you improve your golf fitness and learn how your downswing is affecting your game.
It’s designed to be easily moved from your backyard to anywhere you want to swing your club.
Pros:
- Portability
- Overall design
- Target zone
Cons:
- This product has no reviews as of yet
- No warranty
Conclusion
So much of your game can be transformed by understanding the moment of impact. The result is increased accuracy and distance on your shots, as well as improved muscle memory.
Impact bags – when used correctly in practice – will help you perfect your swing. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced golfer, impact bags can and will help you take your game to the next level.
Whether you are just looking for a simple smash bag to work on muscle memory, or want one of the best impact bags on the market to really dial in your swing – there are plenty of options out there.
Definitely don’t be shy when it comes to perfecting your game, every tool you can get your hands on is important when it comes to taking strokes off your score card.
Remember not to overfill your impact bag and swing at around 50% of full strength for best results and to avoid overdoing it.
FAQ’s
Are golf impact bags good?
Impact bags or smash bags have become increasingly more popular due to their effectiveness in perfecting a golfer’s swing at the point of contact. u003cbru003eu003cbru003eThe u003cstrongu003ebest impact bags u003c/strongu003ehelp a golfer to visualize their swing better, resulting in improved accuracy and increased distance. u003cbru003eu003cbru003eKeep in mind that since many impact bags require the golfer to fill them on their own, you will need to make sure your smash bag is filled to the appropriate level for best results.
What is an impact bag for?
An impact bag can help in many areas of your golf game. From improved muscle memory to visualization of your golf swing at the moment of contact, the u003cstrongu003ebest impact bags u003c/strongu003ewill certainly help to take strokes off your score card – if they are used correctly.u003cbru003eu003cbru003e Many think that it’s important to hit the bag as hard as possible to increase strength. u003cbru003eu003cbru003eThat’s most likely a result of the terms impact bag and smash bag, they sound like a heavy bag in a boxing gym. The point of a smash bag is actually to increase your accuracy on the down swing. u003cbru003eu003cbru003eIn order to get best results you should swing much slower and and less than half of full power. u003cbru003eu003cbru003eThe point of an impact bag is to slow things down to the moment of contact so you can better understand what’s happening with the club upon impact. u003cbru003eu003cbru003eOnce you can see what you are doing wrong, you can adjust the angle upon which the club head connects with the ball.
How do I make a golf impact bag?
Though you can make your own impact bag at home, the results you will get when compared to the u003cstrongu003ebest impact bags u003c/strongu003emade by a professional company will not be the same. u003cbru003eu003cbru003eThere are many companies that have put a great amount of engineering into their design in order to create the best results. Some have even hired scientists to study the golf swing and add it into their design. There is also the subject of durability. u003cbru003eu003cbru003eMany of the u003cstrongu003ebest impact bags u003c/strongu003ehave a construction of tough materials such as nylon, PVC and even ballistic rated materials. That being said, If you would like to make your own impact bag, there are plenty of how-to videos available on platforms such as YouTube.
Can you use a driver on an impact bag?
Yes, in fact you can use any club with an impact bag. Many golfers that use the u003cstrongu003ebest impact bags u003c/strongu003ewill cycle through each club, where others may prefer to only use their irons. u003cbru003eu003cbru003eLike most things in golf, it’s a matter of preference. Some golfers may find it cumbersome to use their driver on a smash bag, others may prefer to use only their irons and woods. u003cbru003eu003cbru003eAlso of note, many impact bags have an anchor point. So if the bag is anchored and you are using a driver make sure to swing at or below 50% to avoid injury.
