Ping Hoofer 2013 vs. 2014

Can any of you guys speak to the differences between the two? Is it merely just a change in appearance? I think I like the look of the 2013, but if the 2014 has any benefits I'd like to hear.

As with a lot of golf things, I don't have the luxury of comparing the two in person. So, again, I rely on your wisdom!

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I've had both - had the '13 and sold for the '14. They are very similar but in my opinion they made enough good changes to the '14 model to justify the little extra $$ over the '13 model. Overall the shape is the same, the room for clubs are the same, the legs are the same. They changed the pocket layout and in my opinion made it much more accessible and easier overall to get things in and out. The drink pocket is MUCH improved, the bottle actually fits now and can easily be accessed while walking. The rain hood was moved to a pocket on the hip pad for added cushioning while walking which is a nice touch. The valuables pocket was moved and is easier to get into and a waterproof pocket was added which again was a nice touch. For those reason, plus IMO the '14 model looks better, I think it's def worth it to go with the newer model. Just my .02 cents.

[quote name='pr1mo990' timestamp='1407534785' post='9890953']
I've had both - had the '13 and sold for the '14. They are very similar but in my opinion they made enough good changes to the '14 model to justify the little extra $$ over the '13 model. Overall the shape is the same, the room for clubs are the same, the legs are the same. They changed the pocket layout and in my opinion made it much more accessible and easier overall to get things in and out. The drink pocket is MUCH improved, the bottle actually fits now and can easily be accessed while walking. The rain hood was moved to a pocket on the hip pad for added cushioning while walking which is a nice touch. The valuables pocket was moved and is easier to get into and a waterproof pocket was added which again was a nice touch. For those reason, plus IMO the '14 model looks better, I think it's def worth it to go with the newer model. Just my .02 cents.
[/quote]

Yeah, I went ahead and purchased the 2014 model. My other bag had a few more holes in it than I thought, so it was a necessity to pick something up. I found a course that had both so I was actually able to compare them side by side. It ended up coming down to me liking the look of the 2014 better. I have to say that I am very impressed with it at this point. It's just a tad heavier than the Callaway Hyper Lite 4.0 I was using. But, it is much sturdier in design. The back and pockets seem more structured and keep their shape when they are not full. I really like the stand mechanism being hidden too. It doesn't get caught on anything and is very sturdy. Overall, it's a great bag!

I love my all black hoofer 14!

Glad you got one! I love everything about the bag except one thing - it doesn't fit 14 clubs very easily. It's actually really hard to get them all in and I have standard size grips, but all hoofers are like that and lots of other stand bags too. Other than that it's a perfect bag

[quote name='pr1mo990' timestamp='1407624922' post='9897285']Glad you got one! I love everything about the bag except one thing - it doesn't fit 14 clubs very easily. It's actually really hard to get them all in and I have standard size grips, but all hoofers are like that and lots of other stand bags too. Other than that it's a perfect bag[/quote]

It's actually a little roomier than my previous bag, so it's an improvement in that regard. I was thinking about getting a cart bag, but I like to carry once in a while.


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I just got the 2014 Hoofer 14 and I could not be happier. I owned and used the original Hoofer 2 for about 13 years as it would just not die and the quality was just so much better than any of their other offerings. I ended up getting a smoking deal on the 2012 Hoofer and although it looked nice the quality just wasn't there and it began to show wear after only 4-5 rounds. That's saying something because I baby all of my gear.

I was really debating on going with one of the Titleist/Sun Mountain bags but whenever I would compare the overall quality of the stand, straps, and material I just could not pick them over the new Ping bags. The Sun Mountain bags are nice enough but the material feels really cheap to me. Not to mention the stands are horrible. Next time you go and look at one grab and wiggle the legs a little with the legs deployed. Horrible. Plus the way the mechanism sticks out at the bottom makes it look like a $100 bag.

The 2014 Hoofers really remind me of the the original Hoofer and the Hoofer 2. Rock solid. Compared to the 2012's the 2014's have a much better stand that deploys much wider and much more easily, the material is light years better, and the straps are great. My 2012 tangled like crazy but with the 14 way top on the 2014 it rarely ever tangles anymore and the clubs basically glide in and out. Super happy overall and I really get the feeling that this bag could easily last me another 10 years. Ping nailed it with these bags.

I wish they still carried the solid navy or green bags. I really don't like the color choices they currently stock.

How heavy is the hoofer compared to the sun mountain 3.5

The Hoofer is probably 1.5 lbs heavier than the SM 3.5 but they're not really competing against each other weight or feature wise. The Ping 4 Series compares directly with the SM 3.5 as the lightweight minimalist carry bags . The SM 4.5 is the Hoofer's direct competitor.