Low Panel Vs. High Panel Footbags
A common question I often receive is what’s the difference between high and low paneled footbags. Even as someone who sells these bags, I will happily admit that just because there are more panels does not mean it is a better bag. Each bag has it’s strengths depending on what you want out of your hacky sack. In the end, all footbags are extremely fun and the different designs and types are a blast. All footbags are not the same, which is why it’s fun to try a bunch of different styles.
With that being said, the main difference between the two I would sum up with “pop” or “collapsibility.”
A lower panel bag is more collapsable. It does not hold its shape as well, therefore, it has less pop. On the flip side, because of that, the bag is a bit floppier and easier to stall.
A higher panel bag is less collapsable because all the panels help keep the shape consistent. Because of this, the bag holds it’s shape better and has more pop off your foot. Footbags with more panels are harder to stall, but are a blast to kick and pass in a circle or to work on control by yourself.
In the middle of all this is a footbag like The Bomb with 32 panels. It is less floppy than The Burst with 14 panels, but much more collapsable than the 92 panel Explosion.
That’s the basics of it, now when you add different filling options to it you get a wide array of options for how the footbag “feels” when playing based on the weight and how full it is…