03/03/2017
Ian Joyce (right) with PGA Professional Gary Cant.
PGA pro Gary Cant did such a good job curing a beginner’s slice – the two men decided to go into business together. Vince Ellis reports.
Like thousands of golfers, Ian Joyce was troubled by an in-to-out swing and kept carving the ball out right. That was before he signed up for a lesson with Cant, who had him hitting the ball straight in no time.
The Ilford Golf Club professional’s solution was simple – an old shaft stuck in the ground, angled to ensure Joyce’s down swing stayed on the right path.
Pleased with the results Joyce, a retired entrepreneur, immediately realised the potential of the crude game improvement device. And when Cant revealed that for years he had harboured dreams of turning the headless shaft into a slick teaching aid, the two men set to work.
“I had sold my business and was looking for something to invest in,” Joyce explained. “When Gary told me he had been wanting to create a teaching aid since he was 18 – but didn’t have the money – I decided to give it a go.”
Two-and-a-half years and around £50,000 later, the pair have created Slice Stoppa, a simple, easy to assemble kit that’s light, portable and effective for any standard of golfer. It can be used either on a driving range or practice ground and only needs a couple of tees to keep it in place.
Cant said: “A slice is one of the most destructive shots golfers have to deal with. Around 85 per cent slice. This is a simple and effective way of ensuring players keep their swing on the right path.”
PGA teaching legend, the late John Jacobs, once cured a member’s slice by making him swing the club standing near a wall. Every time he came over the top – he smashed his club face on the cobbles.
Cant’s swing aid is no where near as painful or costly in terms of new clubs as Jacobs’ shock treatment. And coming in at under £30, the Slice Stoppa is a relatively inexpensive teaching system.
Cant added: “When you are working on the range or practice ground – even with a coach - sometimes it can be hard for a golfer to visualise how the swing needs to be altered. The Slice Stoppa takes all the confusion away. It simply ensures the player swings the club on the right path to hit the ball straight.”
But for Joyce who took on the design duties, there were some long hours working on plans and mock-ups to finally hit on a workable device.
“I made a lot of prototypes using wood,” he said. “I had been trained as a draughtsman many years ago, which helped. I even used a 3D printer so we could get a model in our hands.”
Once they had the first batches of Slice Stoppas manufactured, friends were called in to test them out.
“All the feedback was positive,” Joyce said. “Even a pal who used one while playing Wii golf at home had managed to cure his slice.”
The pair are hoping the low cost teaching aid will be a hit with golfers and coaches alike. And they have discovered Slice Stoppa can cure many other swing faults, not just shots leaking out to the right.
Cant added: “Just by altering the angle of the arm, you can ensure someone who hooks the ball is swinging on the right line too. It can also be set up to stop a player swaying off the ball on the backswing or moving too far ahead of the ball on the down swing. Set it up another way and you can use it as a putting aid. It is such a versatile piece of equipment. And for teaching professionals particularly, very cost effective.”