Carry or Push?

[stitch]

There was a VERY old thread about this, but I figured I would start a new one with a poll.

I've had this debate with my father a few times recently about whether it is easier to carry your bag, or use a push cart (pull cart). We have been playing quite a bit of golf together lately and when we walk, I always carry and he always uses a push cart. I argue that (assuming you use a stand bag and not a cart or tour bag) carrying is easier because pushing the cart up a hill is exponentially worse than walking up the hill with your bag on your back.

Thoughts?

[sjduffers]

You can counter that by saying that when it's flat or downhill, it is easier to push than to carry. Pulling is out of the question, IMHO as it strains that one shoulder that is pulling. It's much better to push.

There have been studies showing that the calories expanded while carrying are a bit higher than when pushing: I don't recall exactly but it was something like 1600 pushing and 1800 carrying (vs 800-1000 riding in a cart). Based on that, carrying would be harder than pushing, I would think.

FWIW, I push a cart (with a heavy cart bag on it, too): I never liked the feeling of carrying and the clanking of the clubs. With a cart bag, I will never be tempted to carry: it's either ride of push for me (mostly walk and push).

[iacas]

Sorry to tell you, but you're on the wrong side of that one, @stitch. Pushing a cart — even on hilly terrain — is better for you and easier on your body than carrying your clubs.

This assumes your wheels aren't sticky, your cart isn't made of lead, etc. Just a normal push cart.

P.S. Pull carts? No. They put your shoulder in an awkward, bad position.

[stitch]

4 minutes ago, iacas said:

Sorry to tell you, but you're on the wrong side of that one, @stitch. Pushing a cart — even on hilly terrain — is better for you and easier on your body than carrying your clubs.

This assumes your wheels aren't sticky, your cart isn't made of lead, etc. Just a normal push cart.

P.S. Pull carts? No. They put your shoulder in an awkward, bad position.

I'm ok with being in the wrong here, this is a hill I'm willing to die on.

I always hated pushing sleds in workouts and pushing a push cart up a hill gives me flashbacks to pushing sleds.

[jmanbooyaa]

2 thoughts on this. Full bag push cart all the way. Half bag sling it on your back and away you go. 

[iacas]

1 minute ago, stitch said:

I'm ok with being in the wrong here, this is a hill I'm willing to die on.

I always hated pushing sleds in workouts and pushing a push cart up a hill gives me flashbacks to pushing sleds.

Well, that's a different reason altogether. Carrying is not "easier" it's just what you want to do (or not what you don't want to do).

[stitch]

Just now, iacas said:

Well, that's a different reason altogether. Carrying is not "easier" it's just what you want to do (or not what you don't want to do).

That's fair. I suppose in my mind pushing the cart up a hill overshadows the ease of the rest of the course with a push cart

[Darkfrog]

I play regularly on a couple very hilly courses, with some severely steep paths to walk on. On these two courses, I find carrying my bag much easier than using my pushcart, especially going downhill. Not necessarily because of a difference in physical effort, but I find it easier to balance and navigate these hills with my arms free, especially if there is moisture on the ground from morning fog or wet weather. I grew up backpacking all the time, and still frequently hike on vacations with my youngest kid in the carrier on my back, so I don't mind the heavy load on my shoulders.

Flatter courses, push cart all the way.

[CarlSpackler]

Push cart. 

[iacas]

50 minutes ago, stitch said:

That's fair. I suppose in my mind pushing the cart up a hill overshadows the ease of the rest of the course with a push cart

Pushing a cart up a hill is actually easier than carrying a bag up a hill (assuming, again, a pretty normal push cart that's in good working order).

Wheels, man.

There's a reason we have a phrase about not reinventing 'em.

[stitch]

2 minutes ago, iacas said:

Pushing a cart up a hill is actually easier than carrying a bag up a hill (assuming, again, a pretty normal push cart that's in good working order).

Wheels, man.

There's a reason we have a phrase about not reinventing 'em.

Just to clarify, when you say push cart, you are referring to a normal golf cart in neutral, right?

[iacas]

2 minutes ago, stitch said:

Just to clarify, when you say push cart, you are referring to a normal golf cart in neutral, right?

Huh? I'm talking about a push cart. What's "neutral"? They don't have gears or an engine.

Your experiences - that it feels "easier" to you to carry a bag up a hill - don't align with all of the studies I've seen. I make my college team use push carts. After a few rounds, they're thanking me. They learn to love them. Even on the hilly courses.

[Double Mocha Man]

Push cart.  Unless I'm headed to the range... then I carry.

[BC-to-MI]

Yeah, push cart all the way for me. Especially since the way that I play requires a good amount of golf balls in the bag, plus a big water bottle in the summer.

[stitch]

3 minutes ago, iacas said:

Huh? I'm talking about a push cart. What's "neutral"? They don't have gears or an engine.

Your experiences - that it feels "easier" to you to carry a bag up a hill - don't align with all of the studies I've seen. I make my college team use push carts. After a few rounds, they're thanking me. They learn to love them. Even on the hilly courses.

It was an *attempt* at a joke about pushing an actual golf cart around a course as a "push cart" but clearly not my best work haha.

I don't doubt the studies you've seen. And I'm comfortable with my opinion being factually incorrect. My opinion has exactly zero basis in objectivity or science and is 100% subjective and I think at this point I have to swear off push carts forever because I've dug my heels in too far.

[dennyjones]

1 minute ago, stitch said:

It was an *attempt* at a joke about pushing an actual golf cart around a course as a "push cart" but clearly not my best work haha.

Emojis go a long way to help get your point across.   

[Double Mocha Man]

I've found only two drawbacks to using a push cart:

1.  You end up on the wrong side (away from the next tee) on a green with a lot of depth.  Then you need to push it around  the green instead of carrying a bag across the green.

2.  You find yourself forced to push the cart along a steep hillside, tending to tip the cart over.

Both of those situations are in play on #8 at my local course.

[billchao]

1 hour ago, iacas said:

P.S. Pull carts? No. They put your shoulder in an awkward, bad position.

I've been using a pull cart for over 10 years. I don't think it puts my shoulder in an awkward position.

Still beats carrying.

19 minutes ago, stitch said:

My opinion has exactly zero basis in objectivity or science and is 100% subjective and I think at this point I have to swear off push carts forever because I've dug my heels in too far.

Why do you insist on being obstinate? Legitimately curious.