Do you know what’s in your cornhole bags? Corn is the obvious answer, but did you know that some are filled with resin pellets or beads? Whether you’re playing for fun or entering tournaments, you should know what your bags are filled with and how that could affect your play.

Nearly every bag you come across will weigh 14-16 ounces. That’s the standard weight and what the professionals use. What makes up that weight is where things start to differ. Cornhole bags can be stuffed with different filler, and they can be made of different fabrics. These variables will affect your strategy and how you toss them.

Corn-filled vs. Resin-filled Cornhole Bags

Corn-filled bags are how cornhole got its name. They’re made from 10 oz. duck cloth stuffed with whole kernel corn feed. These simple materials make buying bags relatively inexpensive.

The corn in a cornhole bag has its pros and cons. It makes the bags easy to hold and flexible for different types of throws. Dust from inside the bag can work its way out onto the board, creating a more slippery surface for sliding bags. But it’s also corn – an organic material loved by bugs and corn weevils. Properly storing your bags will deter bugs from sneaking into them.

Another downside is that corn can get moldy if it stays wet for too long. Resin-filled bags are great if you want a weather-friendly option that won’t get moldy or attract bugs. The resin pellets won’t breakdown over time like corn kernels will. Most professional bags are filled with resin. But before we get into how those differ on the outside, we should explain what duck cloth is.

Duck cloth, which many people simply call canvas, is a heavy, plain-woven cotton fabric. Most of the cornhole bags you’ll find are made with duck cloth because of its ability to easily slide on cornhole boards and durability to last through hours and hours of play. It’s also easy to clean.

Professional cornhole bags

As we said before, pro cornhole bags are filled with resin pellets. The true differences are found on the outside. At Slick Woody’s our pro bags have duck cloth on one side for easy sliding across boards, while the other side is made of microfiber. Landing on the microfiber side causes the bag to stop in its tracks. Depending on how the game is going or your style of play, you can use these different materials to your advantage.

We also offer seven different types of Reynolds bags for even more strategical options. They all are made to the same standard weight and are filled with resin. The combinations of outer materials are where they differ:

• Pro Touch: Suede side for slow slide; polyester side for fast slide
• Pro Advantage: "Carpet"  side, "Advantage" side
• Pro X: "Excel" side - fast, "Carpet" side
• Victory: "Excel" side - extremely fast, "Carpet" side

If you want to improve your gameplay, try one or more of these sets to really hone your skills.

Just for fun

By now you’ve probably decided if you should be using cornhole bags filled with corn or resin. But what if we kicked things up a notch?

Sometimes your backyard parties go on all night, even as the sun goes down. When that happens, it’s not the smartest idea to be throwing things in the dark. So, using light-up cornhole bags can keep the fun going.

We add a long-lasting waterproof LED light module to our all-weather, resin-filled bags. The lights flash in a variety of colors and patterns. And, we keep the weight the same, so it won’t negatively affect your gameplay.

Ready to secure the bags? Check out the variety of cornhole bags that Slick Woody’s offers.