I ceased to carry a full set of clubs over 10 years ago and aside from the occasional winter round with a half set in a pencil bag, I could not have seen myself doing so again until the Sun Mountain Zero G belt arrived.
This is a detachable waist belt similar to the ones you get on rucksacks that slips behind the lower back pad on any bag in the 2016 Sun Mountain range with the exception of the Two Five.
This Zero G came attached to the 2016 H2NO Lite 14-Way stand bag, which as the name suggests is light at 2.4kg and features a 14-way divider for your clubs.
It also is part of the H2NO waterproof bag range that we have reviewed before. The Nylon fabric can cope with 2000mm of water before it will start leaking, which is double the usual standard for being waterpoof.
I have used an H2NO cart bag for a couple of years now and even in the most biblical of rainstorms, everything in the bag has stayed dry.
There are five well placed pockets each with storm proof zips and there are several nice touches like the Leg-Lock strap to hold the legs in when it is on a cart or buggy.
The E-Z Fit Dual strap is easy to adjust and the padded shoulder straps do a good job, although they could be a little wider if they were the only means of support. However that is without reckoning on the Zero G belt.
By coincidence I was shopping for a rucksack the week before the Zero G arrived and the nice chap in the store explained in great detail how the waist belt takes the bulk of the load of on your hips and all the shoulder straps do is stop it bouncing everywhere, so I understood the concept.
The first time I tried it I immediately noticed a huge difference. As the nice chap said, all the weight was taken by the Zero G belt in a comfortable manner and the shoulder straps were almost floating free. This means that there is less strain on your shoulders and upper back, which should mean that they are less likely to stiffen up during or after the round and hopefully you will play better.
The Zero G belt fits 30 to 40 inch waists and is best adjusted using the left and right straps when it is on to get a tight fit. The large, robust plastic clip is easy to connect and undo with a quick push of the fingers so it doesn't waste any time.
If there is a downside, then I suppose putting on the belt is one more thing to do when lifting the bag onto your shoulders, but you soon unconsciously get it into your routine as the benefit is so great.
If you are doing short distances then there is probably no point doing it up and then the untied belt is just something else protruding from the bag. However that is a small price to pay and it is easy to slip it out if you want to stop using it.
Speaking of paying, The Zero G belt is an optional extra on bags that have the Zero G pad for just £19.99, which has to be one of the best cost/benefit ratios in golf.
So if you want to return to carrying or to put back the date of destiny with a trolley, then let your back experience lift off with Zero G.