Who actually uses a stiff arm in their travel bag?

[SwingBlade]

I'm an airline pilot. I've spent many, many years on the ramps walking around and under the planes as the golf bags are being loaded and unloaded. I would only say that if you don't use an SKB hard side with big beach towels wrapped in and around the clubs or a BagBoy with the stiff arm and the beach towels, you are quite simply playing with fire. You have absolutely no idea what sometimes happens to your clubs as they are being chucked up in the hold. If you did, you would probably never ship them that way.

[VinceFurnier]

"Best move you can make" - Juice

[falken19150]

I use 2 CG Stiff Arms with a towel wrapped in between. Take heads off of Driver and woods and put in my carry on. Range finder in carry on also.

 

The SKB is awesome but it doesn't fit in a smaller rental car so lately been going Last Bag route.

[SwingBlade]

I use 2 CG Stiff Arms with a towel wrapped in between. Take heads off of Driver and woods and put in my carry on. Range finder in carry on also.

 

The SKB is awesome but it doesn't fit in a smaller rental car so lately been going Last Bag route.

 

Yes... That is the problem with the SKBs that I forgot to mention. If you fly and wind up with less than full size car it often just won't fit.

[North Butte]

If you have a car to yourself it will fit by folding down the back seat and possibly running the passenger seat forward. Even in small cars. If you are sharing a car and it isn't a station wagon or SUV, probably not going to work.

 

Major airports in UK have a place where you can store your hard case (for a modest daily fee) and just pick it back up on departure day. I wish USA airports had that. On my overseas trips I just shuck the SKB as soon as apI claim my bags and then carry my stand bag over one shoulder and suitcase over the other for the rest of the trip.

[skmcclure]

With an SKB hard case I've never needed a stiff arm, towels, jackets or anything else wrapped around my clubs. Nothing bent, broken or taken apart. Just a TSA notice when they arrive just as I packed them.

 

Same here. I bought an SKB hard case about three years at half price. Couldn't be happier.

[Lou04380]

I own both an SKB hard case and a clubglove bag. I was reluctant to use the clubglove because of the risks of taking a soft case, but purchased the stiff arm recently to help ease my concerns.

As many already know, a lot of rental cars will not fit a hard case easily, seats have to be lowered or whatever the case may be, it can be a pain. So my last trip, I decided to bring the clubglove with stiff arm. My outgoing trip went perfect, no issues. My return flight, that's another story. Apparently the wonderful employees of TSA decided to search my bag, no issues with that, I know they have a job to do. Well, they dumped my clubs on the floor, searched the bag, and when throwing everything back in they apparently couldn't figure out why the stiff arm was hard to get in the bag. So you know where this is going... they lowered it so it fit nice and easy in the bag...just below the height of my woods. No damage was found yet, but I haven't hit anything and it may be a while before I get a chance. I did email TSA to complain, all I got was an email with a claims form attached.

Anyway, that's my .02, I may be back to the SKB, but again, fitting the hard case can be difficult.

[Sef]

I got 4 48" dowels for less than $3 at home depot and they have been perfect.

[North Butte]

I own both an SKB hard case and a clubglove bag. I was reluctant to use the clubglove because of the risks of taking a soft case, but purchased the stiff arm recently to help ease my concerns.

As many already know, a lot of rental cars will not fit a hard case easily, seats have to be lowered or whatever the case may be, it can be a pain. So my last trip, I decided to bring the clubglove with stiff arm. My outgoing trip went perfect, no issues. My return flight, that's another story. Apparently the wonderful employees of TSA decided to search my bag, no issues with that, I know they have a job to do. Well, they dumped my clubs on the floor, searched the bag, and when throwing everything back in they apparently couldn't figure out why the stiff arm was hard to get in the bag. So you know where this is going... they lowered it so it fit nice and easy in the bag...just below the height of my woods. No damage was found yet, but I haven't hit anything and it may be a while before I get a chance. I did email TSA to complain, all I got was an email with a claims form attached.

Anyway, that's my .02, I may be back to the SKB, but again, fitting the hard case can be difficult.

 

Agree on the downsides of a hard case but I use the SKB and Stiffarm anyway. My goal is to get there and have my clubs undamaged to play with. SKB/Stiffarm is the best tool for the job. No damage in eight international plus half a dozen domestic flights. I used a LastBag plus Stiffarm a couple of times domestically then on my first overseas trip with it my favorite putter had the shaft bent in transit.

 

So oh-for-one soft bag, eight-for-eight hard case. Gotta go with what works. I just adjust my car hire plans accordingly.

[percymon]

I travelled for many years with a simple canvas flight coverall - I inverted all my clubs in the bag (all with head covers of one sort or another), cable tied the shafts together at the grip end and then wrapped towels and cloths around them - never had an issue.

 

Sadly with the passage of time, club heads have got larger so its not always possible to invert them these days.

 

On my last trip I did use a strong arm as i couldn't fit the 915D head through the slots in the top on my bag (915F 3w was fine) so inversion wasn't an aoption.

 

For my next trip I will be removing the heads - why I'd never thought of this before ?

[North Butte]

Just remember, the TSA folks are not going to jam your clubs back into the bag upside down. Nor are they likely to carefully wrap and store individual heads in exactly the same way you did. Watching them inspect clubs at my local airport I'd say they are reasonably careful not to handle them roughly but I've never seen them get every club back in the slot I had it. And the one time I tried some extra towel-wrapping and so forth they just stuffed the extra towels down beside the bag inside the case after they were done.

[Florida Gator]

I use it every time. It actually has saved my skin when I load

and unload my bag into the rental car at the airport not realizing the depth of the back end.

[nitram]

I use a Club Glove Stiff Arm overtime. I paid the price with a FT9TA and Whiteboard Flowerband. Never again.

[KRW59]

Never had any club damage, but they did break, bend a wheel axle on my SKB hard case. Had to drag it rest of the trip.

 

Have used a Club Glove with the stiff arm, and removed all heads from woods, wrapped irons with towel last couple trips.

[DFW Snowman]

I've always used a stiff arm with my CG Burstproof 2. Never had any issues but have only taken 3 domestic trips with it. I can't imagine using a soft travel bag without some type of stiff-arm like contraption.

[LoPan12]

I know Delta has you sign a waiver for your bag if it's not a hard-case style one...don't know about the other airlines.

 

I use two aluminum tent poles. They're 14mm diameter, so they're larger than most, and I tape them together at the joint (and bring extra tape) to make sure they don't jostle apart. Just some masking tape, so I can take it apart if I need to for storage. A piece of 3/8" MDF with a hole drilled for the size of the pole insert provides an impact area up top.

[OffTheDole]

I use one whenever i travel. do you guys remove your heads (adjustable clubs of course)? I havent been , but have been thinking about.

 

For my past few trips I have used a stiff arm with a Club Glove Burst Proof II. I take the heads off my adjustable clubs and put them in their headcovers, which all go in my carry-on bag (along with the rangefinder).

 

I also flip the shafts upside down so the grip end is sticking up. Towels get wrapped around the iron heads. So far it all seems to work and here's hoping it does going forward!

 

One other thing to mention is the maximum amount airlines will reimburse you for a lost bag is $3,500.

 

From the US DOT:

"Airlines don't automatically pay the full amount of every claim they receive. First, they will use the information on your form to estimate the value of your lost belongings. Like insurance companies, airlines consider the depreciated value of your possessions, not their original price or the replacement costs. If you're tempted to exaggerate your claim, don't. Airlines may completely deny claims they feel are inflated or fraudulent. They often ask for sales receipts and other documentation to back up claims, especially if a large amount of money is involved. If you don't keep extensive records, you can expect to negotiate with the airline over the value of your goods. Generally, it takes an airline anywhere from four weeks to three months to pay passengers for their lost luggage."

[rcain1us]

Burstproof with stiff arm - Five trips from Boston in the last 5 months, (three to Raleigh, Austin and El Paso).

 

The only damage was snapping off one game golf sensor from my driver shaft

[Titleist87]

Yes, I do. No harm in doing so.

[parthurvt]

I use a stiffarm every time. I like the idea of taking the heads off of the woods though, haven't thought of that before and I might start doing it!

[percymon]

The plastic crown on my stiff arm was damaged on my last trip - only realised when unpacking the bag a few days after the flight home. Better that than the clubs themselves !

[IsleOfMan]

I don't have a ton of money in my bag... probably less than $500 including the bag itself. That said, I grabbed an SKB from the goodwill for $10 a few years back and it was a good buy. After ~8 trips (no clue how many by the prior owner) one of the wheels disintegrated and they sent replacements immediately no-questions asked.

 

A couple of months ago Delta managed to find a way to bend the metal frame AND the legs of my stand bag inside, but the clubs weren't damaged. Something large/heavy had to have been dropped directly on the side and a Stiff Arm would not have helped at all. Delta's contracted luggage repair shop worked with SKB to get me a current model replacement (without me having to pay the return shipping) within about a week and Delta also reimbursed me the cost of a new stand bag. Had I been traveling in a soft-sided bag, even with a Stiff Arm, I'd likely be looking at SEVERAL snapped shafts and no reimbursement for any of it from Delta. The damage also occurred on the out-bound leg of the trip, so had there been extensive damage, it would have impacted my ability to play for the rest of the trip... instead the only affect was that I couldn't use the stand portion of my bag in the parking lot or on the range.

 

I doubt I ever would have spent $250+ on an SKB had I not stumbled across one at the goodwill, but $75-$100 for a used one on eBay would probably be a solid investment. You won't ever have to buy another case again.

[scotty92656]

I have always used one. Also put Club Glove Headcovers on my irons during travel. The stiff-arm concept makes sense to me and they are cheap. Seems like a no-brainer to me!

 

Exactly the same as me. Even with it when you are looking out the window of the plane and see your bag do a header on the tarmac it's nerve racking. Works well and a smart investment.

[scotty92656]

I use 2 CG Stiff Arms with a towel wrapped in between. Take heads off of Driver and woods and put in my carry on. Range finder in carry on also.

 

The SKB is awesome but it doesn't fit in a smaller rental car so lately been going Last Bag route.

 

Wow, that's well thought out. Never considered removing the club heads. Had the SKB and loved it, but was the source of endless complaints from my travel companions since it wouldn't fold down during the trips. Now use Club Glove Burst Proof II, which is a great bag.

[scotty92656]

I use 2 CG Stiff Arms with a towel wrapped in between. Take heads off of Driver and woods and put in my carry on. Range finder in carry on also.

 

The SKB is awesome but it doesn't fit in a smaller rental car so lately been going Last Bag route.

 

Wow, that's well thought out. Never considered removing the club heads. Had the SKB and loved it, but was the source of endless complaints from my travel companions since it wouldn't fold down during the trips. Now use Club Glove Burst Proof II, which is a great bag.

 

Due to them stiff arming me into the Club Glove Burst Proof II (which I love) I bought the stiff arm and the ones who care about their equipment have followed suit.

[Homerun2Birdie]

I use a stiff arm, then wrap the clubs tightly with two towels. This keeps all the clubs from moving around and chattering against one another, and also adds a significant layer of padding. On top of that the stiff arm sticks out of the top of towel wrapped clubs to add some protection from the buffoonery the bag handlers engage in.

[userbob2000]

Another cheap alternative that I use is a piece of PVC pipe (1-1/4" I think) cut just longer than my driver. It weighs a little less a a piece of wood and is still very strong. Never had any issues.

 

I love the idea of removing the driver head too.

[xjohnx]

I'm late to the game and this has probably been mentioned in the previous 4 pages but this is a friendly reminder that all the major airlines only insure your clubs against damage if they're in a hard case.

 

I understand and have lived the inconvenience of traveling with a hard case in rental cars, taxis, with friends etc. If that's not an option I wouldn't travel without a stiff arm. Not worth the risk

[BYK]

Wow I didn't know that the airlines didn't insure against damage without a hard case

[dpark]

Have used one for 10+ years in my Burst Proof. No broken clubs. Maybe would not have had anything broken if I didn't use one. But for $20, pretty cheap insurance. The other trick I do now is take the head off of my driver and put it in the side pocket of my golf bag and stick the shaft "tip end" down in the bag. I cut down my driver to 44.5" so it isn't that much longer than my 3 wood, but it's one less thing sticking out of the top of my bag.