Thinking of buying a golf impact bag, but need a little help with your decision?
In this guide I’ll run through the 3 best impact bags for golf in 2023.
But let me start with the elephant in the room…
Can’t you just make your own impact bag?
Yes. You can.
Ultimately, it’s just a bag you hit that shows you what your club is doing at impact.
A drying bag stuffed with towels will do the trick, whether it stands the pounding of 1000s of swings from your club is another thing though. The best golf impact bags are designed specifically for this reason, and are likely to last much longer than a DIY equivalent.
I mean, you could say the same about a lot of golf training aids. After all, an alignment stick is just a bit of plastic.
And it’s such a cheap purchase that you’re as well getting the real deal. In fact, if you want to save yourself a few minutes reading the rest of this article, just go here and buy this one. There’s really not much difference between bags.
But with that being said…
…let’s move on.
What’s a golf impact bag for?
Clubhead speed and impact conditions are really all that matters in golf.
The ball doesn’t care about your backswing. It only cares about the face angle (open, closed, square) the loft (i.e. shaft lean), where on the face you hit it (ideally the sweet spot) and the speed the clubhead is travelling at impact.
An impact bag won’t show you speed (you’ll need a launch monitor for that). But it will show you what your face is doing (two thirds of the battle).
Ideally you want:
- Your club face square to your target line
- A bit of shaft lean
Why you want shaft lean with your irons
Shaft lean basically means that the clubface hasn’t overtaken your hands in the downswing (a flip).
You don’t need a huge amount, but you want to make sure your hands are ahead of the ball at impact to:
- deloft the face a little,
- ensure you hit down on the ball,
- get a lower, more penetrating ball flight
Bottom line: more shaft lean = more yards.
Warning: these things are LOUD
You’re hitting a bag at 70-90mph (depending on the club you’re using).
That makes a LOT of noise.
So maybe give the mrs (or mr) a heads up before you start whacking away at your impact bag at 11pm on a school night. And if you’re using your impact bag in the garden (which I do) then maybe pick a time when your neighbours aren’t trying to enjoy a relaxing day snoozing on a deckchair.
Warning in place, let’s look at our choices for the best impact bags for golf.
The 3 best golf impact bags this year
As I already mentioned, there’s not a huge difference between impact bags.
Whichever one you choose is going to do the job. The only real difference between the worst and best golf impact bags, is their durability. Essentially, how many impacts will it take? That’s why we’ve listed the three below.
Here are three we’ve tested and recommend.
1. SKLZ Smash Bag
The bag is made from PVC and nylon, which is hard wearing and going to withstand a load of smashes with your 7 iron.
Like most (we think all) impact bags you fill it with towels or clothes to make it sturdy.
And there’s a target map on the front, so you can see where you’re hitting the ball on the clubface.
Everything you need, and it’s one of the cheapest golf impact bags on the market, with some excellent reviews online.
2. Golf Impact Bag Store Power Smash Bag
There’s a big circular target on the front, which you’ll want to hit in the center.
The main difference between this bag and the SKLZ bag (really, there’s not much variation between bags) is this one is designed by golf hall of famer Dr. Gary Wiren.
And once again, it does what an impact needs to do. Withstand smash after smash with a metal stick!
(or if you don’t like yellow, stick with the SKLZ)
3. EyeLine Golf Impact Cube
If you want a regular impact bag buy the SKLZ or the Impact Store Bag mentioned above, you don’t need to look at any other options (they’re all much of a muchness).
So what’s different with the Eyeline Golf Impact Cube?
Well, each side of the bag (or cube) has a different slant. So you can try and match up the lean of your shaft at impact, to the ideal angle.
One side is set for a wedge (lots of lean), one for a 7 iron (a little less lean) and one for a driver (vertical shaft).
If you’re an “over the top” swinger, you can also turn the bag upside down to practice coming from the inside (if you come over the top you’ll hit the bag).
The Impact Cube is a bit more expensive than a regular golf smash bag. But if you want a bag with a little more versatility, then it’s a good choice.
Golf Impact Bag FAQs
answers to some popular questions relating to impact bags for golf
Is an impact worth buying?
Put simply, yes. There are plenty of impact bags available from $25-50 on the market, making this one of the best value for money golf training aids available.
What’s the best thing to put in a golf impact bag?
Load golf smash bags up with whatever you have kicking around spare such as old: clothes, towels, sheets and so on.
Can I use my driver on a golf smash bag?
No, typically golf smash bags are designed for use with irons and wedges only.
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