Anyone experience a slipping J pole

[alsantini]

I know a personal problem...  LOL.  When I raise or lower the mast I use the J pole.  It almost always slips off of the headstay fitting allowing it to slide up the headstay.  This puts a bit of a bend in the pole which makes the next use even worse.  I checked the length of the pole and it is the standard length.  I know the mast has been replaced on my Horizon, but I don't think that is the issue.  In a video of a daycat, I noticed a clamp placed on the headstay about an inch or so from the fitting probably to prevent the pole from sliding.
Question:  is this a common problem?  How have you solved it?  Will the clamp affect the strength of the headstay in the long term?
Thanks in advance.  Sail On  AL