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James Leitz Biography

James is recognized as one of the Worlds Experts in Ball Flight Analysis and 3-D Golf Swing Research and 3-D Dual Force Plate Technology. James is ranked in Golf Magazines Top 100 Golf Instructors in America and has been ranked by Golf Digest as a top 50 Golf Instructor in America.  James is the only ranked golf instructor to also be ranked by Golf Digest to the Top 100 Clubfitters in America.  James has spoken all over the world on his teaching expertise and is known as “The Teachers Teacher” In March 2011 he wrote the cover story for Golf Magazine on clubfitting and instruction. He has influenced thousands of fellow Golf Teachers including Sean Foley, Mike Adams, Chris Como and many more.  James' Junior students have won 29 State Championships.   James was also inducted into the Gulf States P.G.A. Hall of Fame in 2022.
Born: August 8, 1959, New Orleans Louisiana 
 
Current Position: Director of Instruction, Tchefuncta Country Club, Covington Louisiana
                 Golf Professional Emeritus Pinewood Country Club Slidell Louisiana, 1982-2015
                 Head Golf Professional, Tchefuncta Country Club, 2015-2022
                 P.G.A. Class A-1 Member Since 1986
                  
College:  Graduate McNeese State University, Lake Charles, Louisiana
  • Marketing Degree
  • Mc Neese State Golf Team - Division 1, Four Years,
P.G.A. Awards:
  • 1988 Junior Promoter of the Year – Louisiana Chapter P.G.A.
  • 1999 Horton Smith Education Award Winner Gulf States P.G.A.
  • 1991 Golf Professional of the Year, Louisiana Chapter P.G.A. 
  • 1993 Golf Professional of the Year, Gulf States P.G.A.
  • 2002 Teacher of the Year, Gulf States P.G.A.
  • 2005 Teacher of the Year, Gulf States P.G.A.
  • 2006 Barbato/Thomas Lifetime Achievement Award Presented by Louisiana P.G.A.
  • 2012 Gulf States Section P.G.A. Teacher of the Year
  • 2013 Horton Smith Education Award Winner, Gulf States P.G.A.
  • 2015 Horton Smith Education Award Winner, Gulf States P.G.A.
  • 2022 Gulf States Section P.G.A. Hall of Fame Inductee
 
Other Awards:
  • 2000 Rated #2 Teacher in Louisiana by Golf Digest
  • 2001 Rated #3 Teacher in Louisiana by Golf Digest
  • 2002-2003 Rated #4 Teacher in Louisiana by Golf Digest
  • 2003 Rated as One of the Top Instructors in the South by Golf Magazine
  • 2005 Top Fifty Junior Golf Instructors in the United States by U.S. Kids Golf
  • 2007-2008 Rated #2 Teacher in Louisiana by Golf Digest
  • 2012 Honorable Mention, Top 50 Junior Golf Instructors by U.S. Kids Golf
  • 2012-2020 Top 100 Instructors in America, Golf Magazine
  • 2013 Honorable Mention, Top 50 Junior Golf Instructors by U.S. Kids Golf
  • 2011-2020 Top 100 Clubfitters in America, Golf Digest
  • 2015-2016 Golf Digest Top 50 Teachers in America
  • 2019-2020 Golf Digest Top 50 Teachers in America
  • 2021-2022 Top 100 Instructors in America, Golf Magazine
  • 2021-2022 Golf Digest Top 100 Clubfitters in America
 
P.G.A. Service:
  • 1989-Junior Golf Blitz Coordinator Gulf States Section P.G.A.
  • 1992-1993 Louisiana Chapter P.G.A. Vice President
  • 1994-1996 Louisiana Chapter P.G.A. President
  • 1992-1993-1994 Gulf States P.G.A. Education Chairman
  • 2000-2001 Gulf States P.G.A. Awards Chairman
Other Certifications:
  • One of 8 Clubfitting Instructors Certified by the National P.G.A.
  • Authorized Instructor of the Golfing Machine, G.E.S.B.
  • Trackman University Master Status

Featured Speaker:
  • 1990-1993 Featured Speaker-Instructor for 7 National P.G.A. Clubfitting Workshops Hosted All over the U.S.
  • 1993-1994 Instructed 4 Playing Workshops throughout the nation with Co-Instructors Hank Haney, Craig Harmon, Pat Fitzsimons, David Glenz, Lonnie Nielson, Bob Ford, Rick Acton, & Dr. Bob Rotella
  • 1994 Featured Speaker Tommy Armour Coaching & Teaching Summit, National P.G.A.
  • 2006-2007-2008 Featured Speaker at the Better Golf Through Technology Conference Hosted by M.I.T. Center for Sports Innovation, Cambridge Massachusetts
  • 2007 Featured Speaker P.G.A. Merchandise Show Orlando
  • 2009 Featured Speaker P.G.A. Merchandise Show Orlando
  • 2009 Featured Speaker at the Trackman Worldwide Conference
  • Featured Speaker for over 20 P.G.A. Section Educational Workshops from 1988 before 2011
  • 2011 Featured speaker at the Mitchell Golf Conference at Merchandise Show, Orlando Flroida
  • 2011 Featured speaker at the P.G.A. Coaching & Teaching Summit in Orlando Florida
  • 2011 Featured Speaker at the Trackman Conference Port St. Lucie Florida
  • 2011 Featured Speaker at the Trackman European Conference in Madrid Spain, October
  • 2011 Featured Speaker at the Spanish Golf Teachers Federation in Madrid Spain October
  • 2011 Featured Speaker at Mike Adams Top 100 Roundtable, New Jersey, October
  • 2011 Featured Speaker at the Kentucky P.G.A. Teaching Conference in October
  • 2012 Featured Speaker at the Trackman University Certification, Orlando
  • 2012 Featured Speaker National LPGA Teaching Conference, Orlando
  • 2012 Featured Speaker Gulf States Education Seminar, Tchefuncta C.C. Covington
  • 2012 Featured Speaker Illinois Section Assistants Seminar, Knollwood C.C.
  • 2012 Featured Speaker Trackman Users Conference, Orlando Florida
  • 2012 Featured Speaker Golf Magazine Top 100 Retreat, Orlando Florida
  • 2012 Featured Speaker, North Texas P.G.A. along with Hank Haney
  • 2012 Featured Speaker, Canadian P.G.A., San Antonio Texas
  • 2012 Featured Speaker, Gulf States Section P.G.A.  Teaching Summit, Jackson Ms.
  • 2012 Featured Speaker, Mid Atlantic P.G.A. Teaching Summit
  • 2012 Featured Speaker with Sean Foley, Illinois Section P.G.A., Chicago
  • 2013 Featured Speaker at Preston Trail, Dallas Texas, Staff Training
  • 2013 Featured Speaker at TPC Sawgrass for TPC Directors of Instruction, Jacksonville, Florida
  • 2013 Featured Speaker PGA of Canada, Alberta
  • 2013 Featured Speaker Australian Amateur Coaches in Houston Texas
  • 2013 Featured Speaker   Bio-Swing Dynamics Certification, New Jersey
  • 2013 Featured Speaker Golf Magazine Top 100 Summit
  • 2013 Featured Speaker New England PGA Section, Boston, Massachusetts
  • 2013 Featured Speaker Met Section PGA, Golf & Body, Manhattan
  • 2014 Featured Speaker USA Junior National Golf Team, Orlando Florida
  • 2014 Featured Speaker Sweden PGA, Halmstead, Sweden
  • 2014 Featured Speaker Finland PGA, Helsinki, Finland
  • 2014 Denmark Golf Seminar, Copenhagen, Denmark
  • 2014 Featured Speaker Ireland, PGA, Dublin, Ireland
  • 2014 Featured Speaker Scottish Golf Union, St. Andrews Scotland
  • 2014 Featured Speaker U.K. PGA, London England
  • 2014 Featured Speaker Trackman University, London England
  • 2014 Featured Speaker Switzerland PGA, Zurich Switzerland
  • 2014 Featured Speaker Met Section PGA, The Hamptons NY
  • 2014 Featured Speaker College Golf Camps, Dallas Texas
  • 2014 Featured Speaker Trackman University, Gold Coast Australia
  • 2014 Australian PGA Coaching Summit, Gold Coast
  • 2014 Featured Speaker LPGA Teaching Summit, West Palm Beach Florida
  • 2015 Featured Speaker College Golf Coaches of America, Las Vegas Nevada
  • 2015 Featured Speaker Golf & Body New York City with Sean Foley
  • 2015 Featured Speaker at the Nike Oven to Advanced Club Design Team
  • 2015 Featured Speaker at The University of Arkansas Golf Program
  • 2015 Featured Speaker at The University of Nebraska PGM Program
  • 2015 Featured Speaker PGA of Nebraska, Lincoln Nebraska
  • 2015 Featured Speaker Met Section PGA & New Jersey Section PGA at Golf & Body New York City
  • 2016 Featured Speaker Canadian PGA, Toronto Canada
  • 2016 Featured Speaker South Texas PGA, San Antonio Texas
  • 2016 Featured Speaker South Florida PGA, Naples Florida
  • 2016 Featured Speaker & Host, Gulf States PGA Teaching Conference, Covington
  • 2017 Featured Speaker Gears Summit, Orlando Florida
  • 2017 Featured Speaker Sun Country PGA, Albuquerque New Mexico
  • 2017 Featured Speaker Cool Clubs Fitting Seminar, Scottsdale Arizona
  • 2018 Featured Speaker French PGA, Normandy France
  • 2018 Featured Speaker French Golf Federation, Paris France
  • 2018 Featured Speaker, Trackman University, Orlando Florida
  • 2018 Featured Speaker, PGA of Great Britain, London England
  • 2018 Featured Speaker, Gears Education Seminar, Orlando Florida
  • 2018 Featured Speaker, The Proponent Group, Orlando Florida
  • 2018 Featured Speaker, Mississippi State PGM Program, Starkville Mississippi
  • 2019 Featured Speaker Open Forum, Orlando Florida
  • 2019 Featured Speaker, Gears Education, Orlando Florida
  • 2019 Featured Speaker, S2M Education, Orlando Florida
  • 2020 Featured Speaker Gears Golf, Orlando Florida
  • 2020 Featured Speaker Hack Motion Golf, Orlando Florida
  • 2020 Featured Speaker S2M Certification Orlando Florida
  • 2020 Featured Speaker Virtual, PGA Minnesota Section Education
  • 2020 Featured Speaker Virtual, PGA of Sweden Teaching Summit
  • 2020 Featured Speaker Virtual, PGA of France Teaching Summit
  • 2020 Featured Speaker Virtual, David Leadbetter Coaching Summit
  • 2020 Featured Speaker Virtual, Road to the Tour Summit
  • 2021 Featured Speaker Taylormade TP Classic, Canoe Brook CC, Summitt New Jersey
  • 2021 Featured Speaker Taylormade TP Classic, Firestone CC, Akron Ohio
  • 2022 Featured Speaker Taylormade TP Classic Old Town, Winston Salem, North Carolina
  • 2022 Featured Speaker New York Metropolitan PGA at Westchester Country Club
  • 2022 Featured Speaker Andrew Rice’s Coach Camp, Bluffton, South Carolina
  • 2023 Featured Speaker Georgia PGA, Reynolds Plantation, Lake Oconee, Georgia
 Articles & Video’s:
  • Golf Tips Magazine, Impact Article June 2011
  • Golf Magazine, Chapter One in “Best Driving Instruction Book Ever” August 2011
  • Golf.com Video’s on D-Plane explanation, November 2011
  • Trackman Educational Video’s on Trackman Website, May 2011
  • TourCouncil.com Faculty Member 2012 Golf Magazine Article “Lose your Slice, Case Closed “August 2013
  • PGA Magazine, Teaching the Teacher – Impact Point, August 2013
  • Golf Magazine 6 Page Cover Story, “Dial in Your Perfect Drive” March 2014
 Specialty Experience:
  • Performed Clubfitting & Repair for Dozens of P.G.A. Tour Players and Foreign Tour Players
  • Operate one of the Busiest Club Repair Operations in the South
  • State of the Art Teaching/Research Building that Includes: V-1 Video Technology, Mitchell Iron & Putter Bending Systems, Capto 3-D Putting System, Trackman, Titleist 3-D Measurement System
  • Certified Titleist TPI Fitness Level 1
  • Member of the Taylormade National Advisory Staff
  • Junior Student Golfers have won 29 State Championships
  • Top 3 finalist for the United States P.G.A. Teacher of the Year out of 29,000 P.G.A. Members 2020 & 2021
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  • Home
  • Technology
  • James Biography & Awards
  • Book an Individual Lesson or Clinic
  • Online Lessons
  • Clubfittings
  • James Instructional Videos
  • Guest Speaking
  • Junior Golf Programs
  • Ladies Golf Programs
  • The Tchefuncta Team
  • Tchefuncta Learning Center
  • Instructor Training & Guest Instruction
  • Tchefuncta Country Club
  • Directions & Contact Information