Device and method for storage of a golf club

Abstract

A device and method for restraining the motion of a stored golf club. The golf club may be inserted shaft-first into a tube with a restraining element at the upper portion of the tube. The restraining element may be, for example, a flexible snap-in housing for the golf club head, or a flexible membrane which fits snugly around the golf club hosel in combination with a magnet for attachment to the golf club head. The magnet may be designed to swivel to conform to many different golf club head surface designs, formed to mitigate damage to the golf club head, and include a magnet release mechanism for ease of disengagement. Embodiments without the tube are also contemplated, as well as methods for engagement and disengagement of a golf club with the device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device for substantially restraining translational and rotational motion of a golf club having a golf club head and a golf club shaft, comprising:
 a tube having opposed upper and lower end portions and a substantially axial tube opening extending between the upper and lower end portions, the tube opening being sized and configured to receive a golf club shaft of a golf club; and   a golf club restraining element coupled to the upper end portion of the tube and selectively engagable with the golf club when the golf club shaft is received within the tube opening, the restraining element being configured to substantially restrain translational and rotational motion of the golf club relative to the tube when the restraining element is engaged with the golf club.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the golf club restraining element comprises a resiliently flexible housing having a housing opening sized and configured to accept the golf club head, said golf club restraining element being configured to substantially circumnavigate and frictionally engage at least a portion of the golf club head. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the resiliently flexible housing further comprises two resiliently flexible opposed flanges configured to substantially circumnavigate and frictionally engage at least a portion of the golf club head. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a cap member attached to the lower end portion of the tube and configured to provide radial support to the tube. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the cap member is configured with one or more apertures. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the restraining element comprises a resilient body to frictionally engage with the golf club and a magnet to magnetically engage with the golf club, the resilient body and magnet cooperating to restrain translational and rotational motion of the golf club. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , further comprising a magnet housing, wherein the magnet is disposed in the magnet housing. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the magnet housing is sized, formed, and configured to mitigate damage to the golf club head when the golf club head is magnetically engaged with the magnet. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 6 , further comprising a magnet release mechanism coupled to the magnet and configured to disengage the golf club head from the magnet. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the magnet release mechanism includes a lever. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the restraining element is configured such that the magnet is positioned proximal to the upper end portion of the tube and operatively connected to the resilient body. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the operative connection of the magnet to the resilient body comprises a ball-and-socket joint. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a fastener configured to attach the tube to an external surface. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the fastener is a hook and loop fastener. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the resilient body has a body opening comprising a shaft portion and a hosel portion, the shaft portion being sized and configured to receive placement of the golf club shaft, and the hosel portion being sized and configured to retain a golf club hosel of the golf club. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the shaft portion and the hosel portion are interconnected. 
     
     
         17 . A device for substantially restraining translational and rotational motion of a stored golf club having a golf club head and a golf club shaft, comprising:
 a member sized and configured to receive a golf club shaft therethrough; and   a golf club restraining element configured to substantially restrain translational and rotational motion of the golf club relative to the member when the golf club shaft is received through the member.   
     
     
         18 . A method of substantially restraining translational and rotational motion of a golf club having a golf club head and a golf club shaft, comprising the steps of:
 providing:
 a member sized and configured to receive a golf club shaft therethrough; and 
 a golf club restraining element configured to substantially restrain translational and rotational motion of the golf club relative to the member when the golf club shaft is received through the member; 
   receiving a golf club shaft through the member; and   interfacing the golf club head with the golf club restraining element to substantially restrain translational and rotational motion of the golf club relative to the member.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the providing step further comprises the golf club restraining element comprising a magnet configured to magnetically engage with the golf club head of a golf club received through the member, and the interfacing step further comprises magnetically attaching the magnet to the golf club head. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the providing step further comprises providing a magnet release mechanism coupled to the magnet and configured to disengage a golf club head from the magnet, and the method further comprises the additional step of releasing the magnetically attached golf club head from the magnet by actuating the magnet release mechanism.