How to properly pack and ship golf clubs to prevent damage
A quick step-by-step guide on how to properly pack and ship a golf club to make sure it safely arrives at its destination without damage.
Ryan Barath
Making sure a golf club is properly packaged so it doesn’t get damaged during shipping is the most important step of the shipping process. There is nothing worse than eagerly anticipating a new club only for it to arrive scratched up or even worse — in two pieces.
So with that in mind, here are three important tips for packing up a golf club.
Use a sturdy box
I realize this might sound simple, but equipment companies spend hundreds of thousands of dollars a year on packaging to make sure your clubs arrive safe and in one piece. Using a box that can withstand the bumps along the way in the shipping process will help make sure whatever you’re shipping shows up undamaged.
Since golf club boxes are something you don’t generally find at your local shipping supply store, it’s always a good idea (if you are someone that regularly ships clubs) to keep a couple of extra on hand from your recent purchases in case you ever need to send a club out.
One other trick, if you are just sending a golf shaft, is to fold a four-sided box into a smaller triangle to place inside and make the box even more sturdy and resistant to being crushed. A triangle is one of the strongest and most structurally sound shapes, so why not use one to ship a valuable golf shaft?
Use lots of stuffing
Again, this seems like common sense, but I’ve had my fair share of golf clubs show up rattling around inside an unstuffed box, and whether it’s a driver or a set of wedge heads, it doesn’t take much for all the moving around to cause damage — especially with a set of irons.
So if you are packing up a single club or a full set, make sure to take the time to wrap up each head individually before placing them in the box. Then go the extra mile by using more paper or bubble wrap to keep everything from moving around.
It’s like a seatbelt, and the extra padding prevents unwanted dings and dents.
Take the heads off if you can
The hosel (where the shaft connects to the head) is the most highly stressed area of a golf club, and this is where damage most often occurs during the shipping process and also during air travel.
There is no worse feeling for a golfer than grabbing the shaft of a new driver or fairway wood — at home, or on the first tee of a golf trip — and pulling the headcover off, only to discover the clubhead broken off inside the cover.
By removing any club heads before shipping, you prevent this potential break from ever happening, and on top of that, you can reduce the length of the shipping box by a couple of inches to potentially save some money on shipping too.
Now, if you’re not someone who remembers club settings well, just make sure to put a note in the box with the previous settings or take a quick picture with your phone and you’ll be all set. Happy shipping!
Looking to ship your clubs? You can visit Ship Sticks here.
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