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Bag Weights Explained: Light, Regular, Heavy—Which Should You Throw?
- Authors
- Name
- ACL Pro Tommy Sliker
Summary: Choose the bag weight that fits your throw, not the hype. Lighter bags feel quicker with less inertia and help some players stay flat. Heavier bags feel steadier through the wind and cling to lanes for blocks and pushes. If your boards run fast, a touch more mass often improves control.
WTF Cornhole
What “weight” means in practice
Most ACL‑stamped bags land in a narrow range, but brands often offer Light (L), Regular (R), and sometimes Heavy (H). The difference is usually resin fill density/volume—not a drastic change to fabric. That means the same series can feel quicker or more planted purely from mass.
- Light: Quicker in hand, accelerates with less effort, can feel livelier off the board. Helpful if you baby the bag or struggle to keep the seam flat on release.
- Regular: Middle ground. Predictable for most throws and conditions.
- Heavy: Adds stability through the swing and in the air. Often better in wind, on bouncy surfaces, or on super‑fast boards where you need more “anchor.”
If your grip is inconsistent, a lighter bag can mask over‑squeezing by reducing torque. If you push through piles a lot, extra mass helps you move material.
Quick self‑test to pick your weight
- Throw 12 bags of each weight (L/R/H) from 27 ft.
- Note three things: launch angle consistency, miss bias (left/right/short/long), and how often blocks/pushes work.
- Choose the weight with the tightest grouping and the least energy‑management drama. A slightly lower PPR with better miss control usually wins games.
Tip: If your local nights are humid or your venue runs slick, gravitate Regular → Heavy. For slower nights or when you aim to learn rolls/cuts, start Regular → Light.
How weight pairs with bag speed and fabric
Weight doesn’t change the slick/carpet materials, but it changes how those materials play:
- Fast boards, fast bags: Consider Regular or Heavy to tame speed and improve lane holding. See also: Playing on super fast boards.
- Slow boards, carpet bags: Light can help keep momentum on drags and finishers. If you’re learning control shots, read: Make a bag cut harder and Roll bags without butterfly grip.
- Developing players: If you sit around PPR ~6, match bag build to your mechanics, not only your score. You might like: Best bags for mid‑level players.
When to change weights
- You’re long or short by 1–2 feet consistently at the same effort.
- Blocks won’t hold lanes on faster boards.
- Pushes stall when you hit the stack.
- Wind is moving your bag mid‑flight more than it should.
Change one variable at a time—weight first, then fabric/speed. That way you’ll know what actually fixed the problem.
Simple decision flow
- Boards faster than usual? Try Regular → Heavy.
- You baby the throw and leave bags short? Try Light → Regular.
- Need more reliable pushes? Go up in weight before changing series.
- Practicing cuts/rolls? Try Light for easier shape, then step to Regular once consistent.
Final word
There’s no universal best weight—there’s a best weight for your mechanics and your environment. Start with Regular, test against your venues, then commit for a few weeks so your touch adapts. If you need a versatile option that offers all three builds, the Whiskey line above is an easy test bed.