BIG MAX has been the #1 push cart brand in Europe for the past 15 years and has been steadily growing a loyal band of followers (or pushers) in the U.S. for the past four. In that time, the numbers of push carts seen on fairways across the country has increased hugely but now BIG MAX is reporting that the number of young golfers benefitting from the push revolution is beginning to match that of adult golfers.
“There are three clear advantages of using BIG MAX push carts and we’re seeing more young golfers benefitting from them than ever before,” comments Rick Oldach, CEO of BIG MAX USA. “Fatigue at the end of a round is reduced – there’s a reason you don’t see Pro’s carrying their own bags! Long-term stress on the body is reduced, and we’ve seen through several pieces of research that this is particularly important for young golfer’s developing bodies. And with BIG MAX you get the third benefit that when you are travelling to the course or on the team bus to a match, our Fold Flat technology keeps storage space to a minimum.”
The start of the push cart revolution in youth golf can be traced back to the 2014 NCAA Championship when the entire Stanford team, including eventual winner Cameron Wilson, turned out using push carts. It was clear that this team and their highly respected coach, Conrad Ray, saw a real performance advantage to pushing. This isn’t a new idea in Europe where virtually every one of the national junior teams push their equipment on a cart in competition.
This step change has been reflected in the growth of the BIG MAX college program and the brand’s partnership with the largest girls’ only golf tour in the United States, Peggy Kirk Bell Girls Golf Tour (PKBGT), as Oldach continues, “19 colleges have taken up our Big Max College Program including the University of Oregon, University of California and Iowa State University. They are seeing the benefits of their athletes using push carts and the benefit of BIG MAX in the storage and transportation of our unique Fold Flat carts. It has been particularly satisfying to be the official push cart of the PKBGT this year as they are encouraging their players to push from a very young age, something they will benefit from for the rest of their lives.”
That view is borne out in the research that informed American Junior Golf Association’s ruling that push carts are approved for use in all junior competitions. After researching the issue they found that carrying heavy golf bags on the back and shoulder can contribute to back injuries and fatigue especially among younger players. Doctors concluded that when regularly carrying heavily weighted bags, especially when the bag’s weight comprises more than 20 percent of the golfer’s body weight, the possibility of injury to the lower back, shoulders and neck is increased. In addition, during developmental years, reducing the stress on the back is important in promoting the development of a healthier spine.
Oldach concluded, “Not only does using a push cart help you at the end of a single round, it will help young golfers long after they progress into the adult ranks. We’d obviously like to see BIG MAX carts on every fairway, but while we know not every cart will be a BIG MAX, we’re delighted to see more golfers pushing carts all over the country and to see more young people than ever before pushing a cart and enjoying their round in comfort.”
