The day Japanese ace Aoki stuffed Paul into locker at Royal Dublin
In 1981, at the Carrolls Irish Open staged at Portmarnock, the then ten-year old Cuddy was buzzing around the locker room. Being forthright in his views even then, he came to the attention of Isao Aoki. It was not a meeting of minds. "I was slagging him," grins Cuddy. Aoki grabbed the youngster, shoved him into a locker and locked the door, with consequent yells and screams from his victim.
Ten years later Cuddy was back at the 1991 Carrolls Irish Open caddying for his friend Stephen Bennett, an altogether more peaceful experience. And now he prepares to enter 2001 as the proud owner of a state-of-the-art Royle Golf Computer training system which is part of a £50,000 development of his teaching facilities at the range.
As an aid to instruction of pupils, this system is top class. It's the one used by the PGA at the Belfry and has a major asset over similar systems - Cuddy's can be used either to hit indoor into a net or by hitting the balls out into the range.
A STAGE FURTHER
"They say ball flight is the best teacher and while the system is brilliant for showing a pupil every aspect and angle of their swing, here they also get the benefit of actually hitting a full shot and seeing the results," he said.
I have seen other systems which put your swing alongside that of a top professional such as Darren Clarke. The Royle system goes a stage further. The teacher can superimpose a graphic of a top golfer of similar height and build, and "fit" it onto the picture of the pupil. He can also create his own graphics, draw on the screen to highlight advice and at the touch of a button all graphics and images can be converted for a left-hand golfer.
Among the top golfers who have worked with Paul are Adrian Morrow, Jody Fanagan, Noel Fox, Paddy Gribben, Graham Spring, Gary Murphy, Peter Lawrie, Maura Morrin, and Ken Kearney.
"My main teaching is done with ordinary handicap golfers. So far I've got seven captain's prize winners on the books. The youngest I teach is a four-year-old, and the oldest an 85-year-old. The system allows me to get behind the jargon and the terms you see in golf magazines and clear up so many misconceptions," he said.
PHONE CALL ON NINTH
Cuddy's appointments are made by Suzanne at 087 2618044. Previously he took his own bookings but that had its disadvantages as the demands of some clients went beyond normal bounds.
"I've always been available. One day I took a phone call, it was a pupil of mine. 'I'm on the ninth at Malahide and I've 147 yards to the green. Should I hit the seven or eight-iron?', he said. 'How are you hitting them?', I asked. 'A bit left to right', he said. 'Take the seven-iron', I told him. 'I'll ring you back', he replied. "A couple of minutes later the phone rings again. 'I've left it on the front edge. I'll ring you back to tell you how I get on'. And a couple of minutes later - 'Damn it, I three-putted!'.
