Hello
About Fitz
How I teach: I teach time-tested fundamentals that make it possible to take full advantage of an individual’s athleticism, mental, and emotional capacities. It is important to work with what a student is doing well now, and then explain to them what is failing them and why. It’s best to give students the tools to make themselves better. Therefore, when a student leaves after a session or after a school, my goal is for them to have a better understanding of how they are moving, and how they want to move. Ball flight laws must be understood, and so must your understanding of how your grip, setup, finish, and body mechanics influence your impact, which creates the ball flight.
About Me
I learned from the best
I was so fortunate to come out to Las Vegas after college, and to decide to pick up golf when I did. Instruction came from one of the best instructors I could have ever imagined, Bob Byman, from a 20 handicap to a bit better than a +6 over a 10 years span. He taught fundamentals, and that a deeper understanding and mastery of the core ideas were far more important than a broader understanding to a lesser degree. I can’t recall ever meeting anyone that has a great grip, setup, and finish that doesn’t at least shoot in the 70s, so I think that’s a good place to start.
Who do I teach?
I offer individuals lessons, golf schools, and with this academy, I now regularly teach groups of golfers. Anyone that truly wants to learn more about golf, and wants to get better in a way that is easier on their body is who I want to teach. After working together, they can practice with a purpose, and continue to get better as long as their body and mind allow them. I have people of all ages and skill levels, and I can’t think of any that haven’t been able to take our lessons out to the course, and continue to shoot better scores. My favorite thing is hearing from a student about how they just shot a new low round, or they shot their age. Stick with the process, and know that the journey is the most important part.
I feel so Fortunate
I truly love what I do, and it has allowed me to travel to different parts of the country and world competing against other professionals. Now, I get to help people enjoy a game that has given so much to me. In the end, if you take golf to its depth, then you really get to learn about your life through golf. It became an avenue for self-discovery, and it is quite incredible doing something so wonderful to me, and making a living doing it. I do my best to make sure that each student I work with gets to experience this passion and love that I have for learning this beautiful game we call golf.
Personal Information:
My given name is Eric Fitzsimmons, and spent my childhood growing up in Connecticut. After my time in Connecticut, I went to school at Lynchburg College in Virginia, double-majoring in Sports Management and Computer Science. I really wanted to play baseball at a higher level, but injuries held me back, and I never got to find out where that would have taken me. Following my college years, I ended up moving to Las Vegas while working for a software company that I had interned with in Lynchburg.
Getting Into Golf:
Unable to play baseball anymore, I picked up golf, and my love for the game was instant. Always a fan of golf, but with baseball and golf in the same season, I never got to play it at a competitive level. I may have gotten out to play a handful of times over the summer, except for a summer or two when I was very young. One summer, growing up in the sticks, my neighbor and I mowed the grass in our yards to make a small par 3 course. We even used coffee cans down in the ground for holes. My parents were surprisingly encouraging, probably because I mowed the lawn. It was a long time before I really got to play any serious golf again.
Really Learning Golf:
Fortunately, I met my instructor Bob Byman at the Legacy Golf Club while working on my game and not getting much better. Like many others, having played sports my whole life, and considering myself a decent athlete, I thought I would be able to translate that to some good golf, but even after previous lessons with another instructor, my body hurt, and my handicap had only went from a 22 to a 20. Bob taught in detail how to put the grip on, and allowed me to start moving athletically. My handicap went down to a 6 in three months, a 3 in 6 months, and I was playing scratch golf in one year. Competitive golf took me a while longer to figure out, but I was able to play at a level where I won SNGA Scratch and Medalist Player of the Year 6 years later in 2013. After that, I turned professional and won on the mini tours where I found I could compete with some good players. There was some parts of the game I certainly wanted to clean up(don’t we all), and it seemed that things were starting to click, but a serious injury set me back, and I haven’t really played competitive golf to that level again.
Transition To Teaching:
This was a blessing in disguise, because I had already been caddying and teaching a bit. Always loving connecting with and teaching others, I worked towards doing it more and more fulltime, until I had built up a clientele and base of students. I am grateful to all the friends that taught me along the way, all the people that provided me a place to teach, a place to caddy, and supported my dreams.
Since my injury and surgery, I have gotten more and more into mindfulness meditation, and it has allowed me to be more present during all aspects of life, which includes teaching. Anyone that can introduce a little bit of awareness into their everyday activities will bring more joy to their life, and more understanding in whatever they are doing.
I feel that students need to find a coach that they can connect with, and if I resonate with you, that’s great, and I would love to work with you, but if not, find a person that works well with you. Finding an instructor you will enjoy working with, and one that can help make the game easier for you are the two most important things. Best of luck in your search.