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6’9”, 211 mph ball speed: Inside James Hart du Preez’s setup

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You may have heard some rumblings about a 6-foot 9-inch golfer who averages 373 yards off the tee, and is teeing it up at the 2022 American Express this week at PGA West’s Stadium Course in La Quinta, California.

His name is James Hart du Preez, a 26-year-old South African Ping staffer who’s making his PGA Tour debut this week.

Previously, Bryson DeChambeau and Wilco Nienaber (a fellow Ping staffer) were the kings of distance on the PGA Tour. It looks like there may be a new head honcho in town, though.

I’ll admit, I was initially skeptical of du Preez’s distance (he averaged 373.1 yards in 2020/2021 on The Sunshine Tour, a South African tour. For reference, DeChambeau led the PGA Tour in driving distance in 2021, averaging 323.7 yards per drive). To get some verification, I got in touch with du Preez’s Ping club fitter Brad Millard. I also wanted to know what’s different about the club setup of a guy who is so tall and hits the ball so far.

Millard, the Player Development Manager at Ping’s Headquarters in Phoenix, personally fit du Preez for his current Ping equipment. In speaking with Millar on Wednesday ahead of The American Express, it appears all of the rumors are true. Du Preez really does hit his drives with 208-211 mph of ball speed.

He’s also done something that no other golfer has accomplished at the Ping fitting facility; he carried the back net of Ping’s range from the indoor hitting bay. That’s something Bubba Watson, Tony Finau, Cameron Champ, or even Wilco Nienaber have ever done. According to Millar, it was a 375-yard carry, with over 143 mph of club head speed.

Apparently, du Preez is the real deal — at least when it comes to distance.

Check out my Q&A with Millar below, and for more photos of du Preez’s equipment setup at the 2022 American Express, click here.

Tursky: First off, can you talk about what it’s like working with du Preez, and is 211 ball speed real? Also, what are some of the challenges that with working with a guy who’s that tall?

Millard: He’s done something we’ve never seen at Ping. James Hart is the only guy I’ve seen hit one over the fence from our bay. It was a 375-yard carry, with over 143 club head speed to launch it over our net.

I would say the biggest challenge is his height and getting clubs long enough. He had never really tested shafts out. He was using X100s when he came to us, and I switched him into a little heavier and stiffer X7, which seemed to help for his height and strength.

The biggest thing that we had to focus on for him was making sure we didn’t get him into equipment that would produce fliers. You can imagine with how far he hits it; he creates gaps bigger than most players do.

How far does he hit a 7-iron?

Around 225 yards. His 8-iron went about 190-195, so we had to make sure we got him into something that would spin enough so it didn’t produce fliers. We didn’t want him to hit a ball 230 when he was trying to hit 220 because the ball didn’t spin enough.

That was one of the main focuses on our fitting, was gapping and going through and making sure he didn’t have anything that would go too far, so if he had a number in mind he didn’t hit it over that.

What does he do with length, loft and shaft on his driver?

So the shaft is 46 inches, which, for him obviously, it looks as comfortable as a 45 or 45.5-inch driver would look to a normal human. It was more about comfort. We didn’t want to go too long, so we went with something comfortable for him that he could control. That’s how we landed with 46 inches. As far as loft, he obviously doesn’t need a lot of loft because of his club head speed it just spins too much.

It’s a pretty low lofted driver, a 9-degree Ping G425 LST head (with 8 degrees of actual loft), and a very stiff shaft in that Project X HZRDUS Smoke Green (80 TX, tipped 1-inch).

What are the lengths of his other clubs? Does he have to go super long?

Yeah, plus 2 inches.

What problems does that create, if any, with the build?

The only issue is that it makes the swing weight extremely heavy, but due to how strong he is, he doesn’t seem to mind whereas other players might feel that, just due to his size and strength.

What are his swing weights?

E0, and most other players play their clubs between D2-D5. They’re pretty heavy.

So for his other clubs, he has a 3-wood and a driving iron?

Correct, and he uses those a lot since due to his length, he doesn’t always need driver.

I’m not sure if you’ve worked with Wilco Nienaber at all, but is he longer than Wilco?

Yeah, I had Wilco in two days before and yes, he is a little longer than Wilco. Not by much, I mean Wilco still hits it out there, but he definitely has Wilco by a few.

I was recently watching Wilco hit drives at the hitting bay and I thought there’s no way a golf ball can father than that, but I guess it can…

Yeah, and partially why Wilco hits it far – I’ve seen Cameron Champ and I’m sure you have, too – but part of the reason Wilco hits it so far is due to his launch conditions. I would say Wilco was about 202-205 ball speed, and James was 208-210 or 211 ball speed, and with similar launch conditions, so that gave him a few extra yards.

Anything else I need to know about this kid?

I think all of us are anxious to see how he performs at this level. Obviously he has the tools and the length to play, it’s just whether he can hit it as close as these guys and make putts to make a cut. So I think we’re all curious to see.

When he came in and we were just warming up, he got to his 7-iron and I was like, holy cow, he’s swinging his 7-iron 110 mph like my driver. This is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen. I pulled in some people, like John Souza who manages our WRX department who’s worked at Ping forever, and Christian Pena was there. I’m like, you guys gotta see this. Then he flew the net, and I basically shut down the fitting. I’m like, OK, there’s nothing else I can do when you’re hitting it that far and that straight, over the net. It’s like, ‘I think you’re driver is good, bud.’ I’ve never seen anybody hit it over that net except James.

Make sure to check out all of our photos of du Preez’s equipment in our forum thread.

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He played on the Hawaii Pacific University Men's Golf team and earned a Masters degree in Communications. He also played college golf at Rutgers University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

17 Comments

17 Comments

  1. Length Police

    Jan 22, 2022 at 2:04 pm

    Nobody cares about his length. He’s currently in 152nd place out of 156. Way to go.

  2. MrHogan

    Jan 22, 2022 at 10:55 am

    I have seen this guy play and he does in fact hit it extremely long and straight. When he learns to hit his irons and becomes a better putter, just like all long hitters it’s gonna be a huge learning curve for him before he can contend.
    It’s absolutely incredible watching this guy hit a ball that far, and the incredible part is, he stays in balance and doesn’t appear to swinging for the fences. Unlike DuhShampoo who always appears to be off balance and swings out of his shoes.

    • DuhShampoo

      Jan 22, 2022 at 2:34 pm

      We’ve seen you swing too MrHogan, we weren’t impressed. Tell the wife I said “hey” too. Me and Davonte the Bull will be over sometime this week.

  3. RSA

    Jan 21, 2022 at 4:43 am

    There are plenty of good South Africans who have won over here who actually deserved this spot at the AMEX, this guy has won nothing and barely makes a cut on our smaller South African sunshine tour. Who wants to watch some one drive greens but can’t even break par – over hyped and under whelming

  4. Alex Harper

    Jan 21, 2022 at 12:46 am

    Has anyone looked into his stats after today’s round?

    • Statman

      Jan 21, 2022 at 10:12 am

      10/18 greens 8/14 fairways 324 off the tee and lost 1.5 strokes in SG putting

      2 doubles – both the result of H2O balls with approach shots

  5. How many not how far

    Jan 20, 2022 at 9:19 pm

    76 – think what he would have shot if he hit it 10 yards longer……

  6. Drkviol801

    Jan 20, 2022 at 5:10 pm

    Im over 6’6″ and Club Champion fit me for irons only a quarter inch over standard!! Never go to club champion total chumps.

    • More to it than height....

      Jan 20, 2022 at 9:17 pm

      well, height alone does not determine any fitting adjustments. 6’2” with short arms could be fit for longer clubs than 6’5 with long arms….

    • Brandon Bolt

      Jan 20, 2022 at 10:46 pm

      I am 6’6″ and a bit of change and my irons are plus 1.5 imch for reference. Unless you are stretch armstrong, it is tough to believe that plus quarter inch would be enough.

      • drkviol801

        Jan 21, 2022 at 12:19 am

        Yes! Thank you bro that’s exactly right.

  7. U. Bin Gaffled

    Jan 20, 2022 at 12:06 pm

    Will we still be in awe of his swing speed and simulator numbers when he misses the cut? Asking for a friend.

    • Big Russ

      Jan 20, 2022 at 3:20 pm

      You sound like a miserable person…smh

      • Hartman

        Jan 20, 2022 at 3:58 pm

        You sound like you bought land in the Metaverse. SMH.

        • Bigger Russ

          Jan 20, 2022 at 5:48 pm

          First I shook my head, then you…..SMD

      • leezer99

        Jan 21, 2022 at 6:24 am

        You sound like ‘that guy’.

  8. Tony Dyck

    Jan 20, 2022 at 11:11 am

    “You’re gonna need a bigger net!”

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Whats in the Bag

Emiliano Grillo WITB 2024 (May)

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Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (9 degrees @10)
Shaft: Project X Denali Blue 60 TX

3-wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (15 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Blue RDX 70 TX

5-wood: Cobra LTDx Prototype (18.5 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Blue RDX 70 TX

Irons: Callaway Apex TCB (4-9)
Shafts: Project X 6.5

Wedges: Callaway MD3 Milled (46-08S), Callaway Jaws Raw (50-10S, 54-10S, 60-08T)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Flatso 1.0

Grips: Golf Pride MCC

Check out more in-hand photos of Emiliano Grillo’s clubs here.

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Product Reviews

UST Mamiya Dart V iron shaft review – Club Junkie Reviews

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Recently, graphite iron shafts have grown in popularity as technology has taken giant leaps forward. The old thoughts of graphite being too soft, too high launching, or too inconsistent have gone by the wayside. This new batch of graphite iron shafts has been played by all levels of golfers, from players who do need help with launch and spin to professionals who are looking for added control.

Today, we’re taking a look at one of these “new graphite iron shafts.” UST Mamiya Dart V irons shafts come out of the company’s TSPX Lab that creates the most cutting-edge designs and uses the latest materials.

Check out the full review on YouTube below or on any podcast platform.

UST Mamiya’s Dart V shafts are designed around Dual Action Recoil Technology that makes sure the entire shaft flexes consistently for much tighter shot dispersion. The Dart V shafts are offered in 90, 105, and 120-gram weight options to fit a wide range of golfers. UST Mamiya also has very tight tolerances and quality control to ensure that every shaft is the same in the set. Utilizing Torray M40X carbon fiber gives the engineers a material that is 30% better tensile strength and gives the shafts better feel with less harsh vibration.

I went with the Dart V 105 F4 (stiff) shafts as I have found more success with lighter shafts as I have gotten older. Building these shafts up with a set of Vega Mizar Tour heads was very easy and didn’t take a lot of tip weights. I think the 7-iron needed a small 2g tip weight and the rest were installed without any weight at my desired D1 swing weight at standard length with standard size grips.

Out on the course, the first thing I noticed was how tight the Dart V 105 feels. Every swing feels like the shaft is under complete control, no matter if you take a partial or went after it. Stout is a great term for the shafts as they definitely play true to flex, but they aren’t harsh feeling. While the Dart V plays stiff, it still does a good job of reducing vibration and keeping joints or injured body parts free from additional shock.

You can feel the shaft load during the transition to the downswing, but it has a stiffer feel of less flex than some other graphite shafts. Some players like this boardier feel and will get it with the Dart V. Feel at impact is similar to the loading where you are going to feel some kick at the bottom of the swing, but it won’t be as aggressive as other shafts. On center strikes the Dart V offers a very solid feel with great, soft feedback. When you mishit shots with these shafts you get immediate feedback with some additional vibration that feel players will really like. The mishits aren’t too harsh on the hands but still let the head give you the louder click that your ears will want.

Ball flight for me was lower than I expected with UST Mamiya listing the shaft as more mid-launch. I would consider my launch with the Dart V mid-low launch with a more penetrating flight. Better players will like the ability to flight shots, with any club, higher or lower in order to get the ball close to the hole. The penetrating flight helps in windy conditions as it offers a stable trajectory that doesn’t waver from your aiming point.

Shots that you mishit off the toe or heel go pretty straight and you don’t see big curvature that causes you to really miss the green. Most of those misses come off the face fairly straight and leave you with a fairly easy chip or pitch shot to the green. Distance control is consistent and repeatable as I found on the range that well-struck shots have a very tight carry distance window and I have yet to see some wildly long or short shots show up.

Overall, the UST Mamiya Dart V iron shafts are solid options for players who are very particular about performance. Like other shafts among the new breed of graphite iron shafts, the Dart V delivers the type of shots you need when you need them.

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Equipment

Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (5/8/24): Scotty Cameron Art of Putting Laguna putter

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At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a Scotty Cameron Art of Putting Laguna putter.

From the seller: (@kcsf): “Scotty Cameron Art of Putting Laguna. -I will regret this one selling for sure. It does have one small nick on the face near the toe as shown, otherwise in amazing new condition.  -BOS reconditioned and received last month. Oil can finish as done new by BOS when this putter was released many moons ago. -Head cover is authentic SC and shows age. Velcro is worthless of course, but does stay closed.  -Length is 34.25 inches, original shaft. -Grip is old and needs replacing. I can have my pro do it prior to shipping at an additional cost of the grip only. -$475.”

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: Scotty Cameron Art of Putting Laguna putter

This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules

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