Derek James, PGA Club Pro of the Year (2002), Teaching Pro of the Year (2008), and awarded both accolades again in 2013, was an outstanding amateur and spent 13 years on the professional circuit prior to joining Southbroom Golf Club.
At 20 years of age, Derek James was the leading Amateur in the South African Masters (1980) and, prior to turning pro in 1984, he had represented South Africa as a ‘Springbok’ on 5 occasions, played in 3 British Amateurs and the World Amateur in Switzerland (1982).
Among his many achievements on tour, Derek won the Tournament Players Championship in Canada (1994), 3 tournaments in America including the Holy Oak Pro Am, 8 tournaments on the South African Winter Tour, and came second to Ernie Els in the South African Open (1992).
Derek retired from the professional circuit prematurely in 1997, due to family commitments, and the tour’s loss was Southbroom Golf Club’s gain. Not only did the Club score a PGA Professional capable of being elected to serve the board of the SA PGA (2005 to date), his wife Sheena is the backbone of the Southbroom Pro Shop success story.
Derek runs coaching clinics for all levels of golfers and is coach to professionals Jaco van Zyl (former South African Amateur Champion), Hennie Otto, Andre Cruse and Andrew Curlewis. Derek also coached the Natal Provincial Golf Team in 2001.
Derek and Sheena have two children, Courtney (1996) and Connor (1998).
Member of the Professional Golfers Association of South Africa
Book a personal lesson with Derek James or attend one of his clinics, either way you’ll score better when next out on the course.
Although highly regarded as an expert in every aspect of the swing, it is as a short-game coach that Derek James is best known.
Online coaching is just a click away…
And, if you want Derek to guide you around the Southbroom track …
Grip:
Keep hands soft. See 2 or 3 knuckles of left hand.
Grip sits in the fingers of the right hand, not in the palm.
Aim:
Aim straight or to the left of your target, never right.
Ball position:
Forward of centre, (but changes with slope)
Driver = Ball Forward; Short Shots = Middle to Back.
Hands:
Hands are ‘set’ going back and ‘un-set’ coming down. Train hand speed.
Back swing:
Club goes back on line and turn. Feel throwing position. Weight stays on inside right foot.
Weight transfer:
Transfer weight going through with footwork. Weight must go forward and finish on left side. Right foot ends on toe.
Narrow your stance
Start with weight on left side
Ball position back (generally)
Hit down and through (take a divot)
Dominant right side
Use your feet
Extend right arm and hold your finish
All things being equal, and with no real obstacles in your way, from anywhere within a few yards of the putting surface, any teacher would
Picture a) Picture b) Picture c) For those golfers who understand the importance of the face being open, a common fault is to ‘hang on
Use right hand only Try different ball positions Practise foot work Try different clubs Extend right arm after contact The one-armed swing This drill is
The set up: For the straight forward chip shot, the address position should be compact – with the feet relatively close together and slightly open
Picture A Picture B Picture C Picture D Picture E Picture F Lay 2 clubs down in the sand (Picture A) with one club aiming
(Golf Digest December 2016) Derek James explains the importance of good weight transfer in the short game in general.
