Vessel Player IV DXR and Player IV Pro DXR Stand Bag Review

Vessel Golf has a reputation for making some of the absolute best golf bags in the business.  And their Player carry bags in particular are so popular they have almost a cult-like following.  Craftsmanship and appearance are in a class of one.  Comfort and functionality are premium with nothing sacrificed.  You'll hear a lot of golfers call the Vessel Player bags the perfect golf bag,

When you design a bag like Vessel's Player bag and really check all the boxes (I'll touch on all of these below) the room for improvement is small.  But when Vessel released their new Player IV and Player IV Pro carry bags they proved once again they aren't a company to rest on their accomplishments.  And even small changes can lead to big advantages.

This review of the Player IV and Player IV (6-way) stand bags will also cover Vessel's new DXR material.  I talked a lot about this new material in my Vessel Sunday III DXR Stand bag review here.  But I'll hit one some points again about DXR here because it's an absolute game changer.

Player IV (and Player IV Pro) Improvements

Vessel told me most of the improvements to the Player IV line were player recommendation driven.  Feedback from golfers like you and I is very important to Vessel and the changes are noticeable.

First, the Player IV bag (6.16 lbs.) weighs less than the Player III bag (6.35 lbs.).  I've found Vessel Player bags to always feel even lighter than the actual weight.  Primarily because of the self-adjusting equilibrium strap system (more on that below).  But the weight decrease with Player IV is something approximating the weight of half a dozen golf balls.  Nothing earth shattering, but when you're at the end of your round and maybe more tired than when you started, anything that makes your carry lighter is welcome.  And by the way the same Player IV bag in the DXR material?  Just 5.75 lbs., making this one a full dozen golf balls lighter weight.

The Player IV (and Player IV Pro) also feature a changed bottom to give you more room for oversize grips.  I have midsize grips on all my clubs and the extra space of the Player IV is undeniable.  Again it bears mentioning, I never really had any issues pulling clubs or putting clubs back in my Player III stand bag.  But Vessel decided to just make easy even easier in that regard.

 

There are other useful and practical changes with the Player IV and Pro IV Pro bags as well.  For example the magnetic and stretch water bottle pockets are bigger than they were with Player III.  I'm not sure exactly how much bigger but they easily hold my 20 oz. Corkcicle tumblers as well as even larger 26 oz. S'well tumblers.  Good stuff here.

The zippers (with contrasting red stitching) on both bags are strong, sturdy, and smooth.  You can yank on them, zip and unzip them as carefree as you want.  These zippers aren't going to catch or snag or come loose.  Absolute quality as you'd expect to go along with everything else about these new Player IV bags.

 

Vessel also gave us changes like a new internal divider inside the microfiber-lined magnetic valuables pockets (see pic earlier).  Not a deal-breaker one way or another, but it's an example of Vessel talking the talk and walking the walk when it comes to giving us the most premium carry bag possible along with luxury features that contribute to making Vessel just that much better than the rest.

Return of the Patented Rotator Stand System

Both the Player IV and Player IV Pro bags also feature Vessel's patented Rotator Stand System and carbon fiber legs.  And together these give the IV series bags the stability of a mountain goat.  It doesn't matter how sloped the course is when you open your bag's legs or how windy it is.  You can even give your Player IV and Player IV Pro bag a resentful kick if you're the kind who loses your cool here or there.  I'm not talking MMA roundhouse kicks but short of that your Player IV and Player IV Pro isn't going to budge.

 

The legs are lightweight but extremely strong.  They snap out and in (spring) with sturdiness and strength.  And Vessel says they even optimize your bag's strength to weight ratio.  I didn't even know there was a strength to weight ratio for golf bags but the point is yeah, the Player IV and Player IV Pro legs are strong, secure, and even made with a new finish to make them less scratch resistant.

 

The Rotator Stand System basically ensures your bag sits flat or flush with the ground regardless of the lie.  The base opens and closes in a manner so that the bottom of your bag is never on an edge or anything other than completely glued to the ground.  Really doesn't get any better than this.

Vessel's Legendary Equilibrium 2.0 Double Strap

For me this is the best strap system on the market.  Just no question about it.  I've talked about this Equilibrium strap system in previous Vessel bag reviews and Vessel has refined its effectiveness over generations of the Player bag.  The gist is all four straps are independently self-adjusting around circular swivel mechanism which makes the carry not only as comfortable as it can possibly be, but also as customizable as it can possibly be.

 

So it doesn't matter how broad, narrow, straight, or sloping your shoulders are.  The straps adjust to the natural physique of your shoulders and back.  And when your bag is perfectly balanced over your shoulders it simply doesn't get better or more comfortable than that.

The straps themselves are plenty cushioned and soft.  And the design and shape of them are such that even if you carry single strap it's not moving or sliding on your shoulder at all.

And this kind of balance is why I've said in the past and say again here even with the Player IV bag weighing more than an ultra-light stand bag, it feels lighter to carry.  Just think of how any weight on your shoulders (even something lightweight) can feel uncomfortable if it's not resting in the exact right way.  While something weighing heavier actually feels more comfortable if it's balanced on your shoulders.  I can't exaggerate how much I love the Equilibrium strap system.

The DXR Advantage

As mentioned above DXR is a ripstop material that's one of the lightest, most durable, and waterproof materials you can have in a golf bag.  This material was originally designed to solve the problem of torn sails in sailboat racing and has since found its way into many kinds of products including tactical gear for the U.S. Military.

 

The carbon weave appearance of DXR also looks absolutely badass, almost like a John Wick vibe.  And when Vessel decides to make DXR in colors other than black I'm going to have a serious addiction on my hands.  The Player IV DXR weighs almost a full pound less than the Tour-grade synthetic leather used the standard Player IV models.  And being a more durable material DXR is also less likely to scuff if you use your Player IV (or Player IV Pro) as a cart bag when it's bouncing around on the back of your cart.

Player IV Versus Player IV Pro

So you've seen me this season using my Vessel Player IV bag at courses like Los Angeles Country Club North and my Player IV Pro bag at Sleepy Hollow Country Club.  And of course using both of them right here at home at Manakiki.  And you're probably wondering what's really the difference between them?  The simple answer is size and storage, but there's more to that story.

Despite the Pro being a larger (and taller) bag the difference in weight between Player IV DXR and Player IV Pro DXR is a mere five ounces.  That's less than half a can of Pepsi.  And absolute truth here, when I put both bags on my shoulders I honestly cannot tell a difference of one weighing more or less than the other.  These are both light feeling and extremely comfortable bags to carry.

I have a 6-way (microfiber) top on both my Player IV and Player IV Pro and the Pro model is wider at the top (in addition to being wider at the bottom as mentioned earlier).  The Player IV Pro top compartments are large enough that you can comfortably fit three to four clubs in each section if you want (compared to the more traditional two to three clubs of the standard Player IV).  Options if you want or need them, I'm all about it.

 

Both the Player IV and Player IV Pro have nine pockets, but with the Pro bag you have more room pretty much everywhere.  There's room for two phones and a rangefinder in the Pro bag valuables pouch for example, compared to room for one phone and rangefinder in the standard Player IV.  It's clearly a wider and deeper valuables pocket in the Pro.  And again, I'm all about giving me more room if I want and need it.  The bottom ball pocket in the Pro is also larger with more area.  I could fill this pocket with two dozen balls in the standard Player IV bag compared with three dozen balls with the Pro bag.

The insulated side pocket is just a tad bigger on the Pro versus the standard Player IV, big enough though for an extra beverage or a few extra sandwiches.  The two insulated beverage pockets are probably about the same size for both bags.  But it's the large side apparel pocket that shows just how much more space you get with Pro versus the standard Player IV.

I could fit a rain jacket, rain pants, and shoes in this pocket with the Player IV bag.  With the Player IV Pro bag I could almost double what I fit inside.  Two pairs or rain pants, two rain jackets, and a pair of shoes.  There's significantly more apparel pocket area and depth in the Player IV Pro.  And with all this extra space you get with the Pro this bag can legitimately be used as a cart bag for those of you who want all that extra space.

The Vessel Player IV and Player IV Pro Bag Supremacy

Everything about the Player IV DXR and Player IV Pro DXR stand bags is relentlessly outstanding.  And I'll tell you right now these are both two of the most covetous bags I've ever used.

The DXR material is practical for sure but its beauty is a tough as nails masterpiece.  One look and people will be drawn to seeing what's in your bag.  Craftsmanship of both design and construction is not merely the highest quality, it's downright exquisite.  And the comfort and performance of both bags embody the spirit of pushing limits of what golf stand bags should be.

 

To the last detail the Player IV and Player IV Pro answer all the questions of what an ideal stand bag should be before the questions are even asked.