The art of the swing: Aggie startup launching into golf technology market

In as few as 30 swings, the sleeve will know precisely what each individual's perfect swing looks like. — Synced with a mobile application, the sleeve evaluates the club face, club path and rhythm of a player's swing and provides real-time insights and training recommendations. | Image: Courtesy of CTRL

Ian Cash '17 started playing golf when he was only seven. Now, he's on the cusp of revolutionizing the art of the golf swing.

On Tuesday, Oct. 27, the CEO and founder of CTRL is launching a biokinetic sleeve designed to help golfers improve their individual swing.

"Simply put, nobody swings the same; you have to find what works best for you," he said.

Synced with a mobile application, the sleeve evaluates the club face, club path and rhythm of a player's swing and provides real-time insights and training recommendations. Golfers can simply slide on the sleeve, pop in the sensors and start taking swings. In as few as 30 swings, the sleeve will know precisely what each individual's perfect swing looks like.

For Cash, golf is personal. At 13, he was struck by an autoimmune disease that partially paralyzed his movement.

"This kept me out of the sport for years," he said. "But when I was finally able to swing again, it was an entirely different motion than before. Yet I still play as well as I did before. That was the inspiration for CTRL."

The idea really started to take shape from a couple of sketches on a napkin at lunch between Cash and his high school friend, Alex Hansen. The drawing moved from a napkin into a passion project for Cash's senior design class in mechanical engineering at Texas A&M University, where he picked up six team members who saw the value in this product.

When the project was mentioned to Rodney Boehm, associate professor of practice and director of the Engineering Entrepreneurship Program, he saw the prototype's true potential and offered enrollment in an entrepreneurship incubator focused on taking prototypes and finding their proper place in the market.

"It wasn't until he saw our initial prototype that I ever thought we had a real shot of making this passion project a business," Cash said. "As far as being an entrepreneur, I have to give the credit to Texas A&M and specifically Rodney Boehm. Once I was enrolled in his entrepreneurship class, the leap was easy. Having that amount of experience and knowledge behind you would make anyone confident in making such a big decision."

Synced with a mobile application, the sleeve evaluates the club face, club path and rhythm of a player's swing and provides real-time insights and training recommendations. — In as few as 30 swings, the sleeve will know precisely what each individual's perfect swing looks like. | Image: Courtesy of CTRL

The team started with a broad approach in a virtual reality space. They conducted hundreds of customer interviews to really explore the market and find out where their technology belonged — from weightlifting to swimming and archery to basketball. But Cash said it all came down to the sport he played as a child — golf.

"Our original prototype was a bulky piece of 3-dimensional printed plastic," he said. "It was clear that wasn't going to mesh well with a golf swing, so we moved to a compression sleeve almost immediately.

And so, the work began, and an entrepreneur was born. But not without some challenges along the way.

"In the startup world, challenges are your friends," Cash said. "They're a nice gut check. You have to face them head on and find new and creative solutions. That was a lesson I learned early on. There will always be challenges, but the reward for getting past them is unequaled. Plus, it gives you a reason to celebrate."

Cash is quick to point out that being a part of the Aggie network has been crucial to his success. He has worked with Engineering Inc. and Startup Aggieland. He's also worked closely with Jim Donnell, professor of practice in the Engineering Entrepreneurship Program.

"The Aggie network is incredibly strong. In fact, we've had almost 10 Aggies work at CTRL," he said. "Rodney Boehm and Jim Donnell are treasure troves of entrepreneurship experience. I consider myself exceptionally lucky to have even met them. They're rock stars, and they have been so influential, not just in starting up the business, but in my own personal journey as I learn to be a better CEO every day.

Golfers can simply slide on the sleeve, pop in the sensors and start taking swings. | Image: Courtesy of CTRL

"They're always looking out for you and aren't afraid to let you know when they disagree. You need that kind of guidance and reality check when you're doing something for the first time. Without them, I'm not sure we would have made it this far."

Donnell said Cash and his team epitomize the entrepreneurial mindset they strive to develop in the Engineering Entrepreneurship Program.

"We have worked closely with Ian for the past four years and watched the evolution of the product, the personnel, the company name, along with the maturity of its leader, Ian Cash. He is a special person and has poured himself into this endeavor. It is such a pleasure to see the successful product launch," Donnell said. "Ian's strength of character, his indomitable spirit and his commitment to excellence have all served to get this team across the finish line."

Cash comes from working in very large, global companies, so becoming an entrepreneur was new territory. He said it takes discipline to keep pushing forward and offers a bit of advice to any current Aggies considering a future as an entrepreneur.

“Don’t quit. It’s a tough road, but you couldn’t have picked a better place to start an entrepreneurship journey,” he said. “A&M has one of the biggest networks of CEOs and entrepreneurs out there, and all of the professors are tried and true successful entrepreneurs themselves. You’re in good hands.”

See more about CTRL and their new bio-kinetic sleeve online.