Monte Schleinblum - Golf clinic thoughts?

Hi WRXers,

Has anyone been to Monte Schleinblum's golf clinics? If so, what are your thoughts on quality of instruction? Is it Monte himself teaching?

Curious to your thoughts on attention given (student to teacher ratio), quality of instruction itself, the playing lesson, and the overall vibe.

Thanks all!

Take a look at his clinic thread, lots of feedback along these lines in there and search and you'll find plenty of info from others who have been to clinics as well.

Who the ____ do you think is teaching if it isn't Monte? Is this for real? Okay, one day he brought in Phil because he was under the weather and we blew off the clinic and spent the day in Vegas learning "the hard way", lol.

Anyway, quality is top notch, "vibe" is what you make of it, but a great time and lots of learning if you want to learn from Monte and from watching others learn. Key is to let him know anytime something feels weird so he can get you his opinions on that straight away.

Take a look at his clinic thread, lots of feedback along these lines in there and search and you'll find plenty of info from others who have been to clinics as well.

 

Who the ____ do you think is teaching if it isn't Monte? Is this for real? Okay, one day he brought in Phil because he was under the weather and we blew off the clinic and spent the day in Vegas learning "the hard way", lol.

 

Anyway, quality is top notch, "vibe" is what you make of it, but a great time and lots of learning if you want to learn from Monte and from watching others learn. Key is to let him know anytime something feels weird so he can get you his opinions on that straight away.

Excuse my ignorance, haha. Just was curious if it is him plus other instructors. I did some searching and realized he is actually on this forum. New to WRX (although Ive been lurking for more than a year, lol), sorry!

Looking at the NJ clinic in July.

Take a look at his clinic thread, lots of feedback along these lines in there and search and you'll find plenty of info from others who have been to clinics as well.

 

Who the ____ do you think is teaching if it isn't Monte? Is this for real? Okay, one day he brought in Phil because he was under the weather and we blew off the clinic and spent the day in Vegas learning "the hard way", lol.

 

Anyway, quality is top notch, "vibe" is what you make of it, but a great time and lots of learning if you want to learn from Monte and from watching others learn. Key is to let him know anytime something feels weird so he can get you his opinions on that straight away.

 

Excuse my ignorance, haha. Just was curious if it is him plus other instructors. I did some searching and realized he is actually on this forum. New to WRX (although Ive been lurking for more than a year, lol), sorry!

 

Looking at the NJ clinic in July.

LOL, sign up and go, worth every cent!

Seriously, lots of info on here. And feel free to PM and happy to answer any time.

Hi WRXers,

 

Has anyone been to Monte Schleinblum's golf clinics? If so, what are your thoughts on quality of instruction? Is it Monte himself teaching?

Curious to your thoughts on attention given (student to teacher ratio), quality of instruction itself, the playing lesson, and the overall vibe.

 

Thanks all!

I’ve been to two. Good bang for the buck. His teaching is concise and to the point. I believe at both clinics each participant went away at least a little improved and with some things to work on. Plus Monte’s pretty funny.

I have been to his clinics, and one on one lessons. He is by far the best instructor I have ever been to. My game has improved significantly since taking lessons from him. He is also really fun to be around. He’s a super nice guy. I would recommend getting lessons from him without any reservation. In between visits to him you can watch all of his videos which are super helpful to reinforce what he might have taught you.

Heeeeeee's heeeeeere…..

TL;DR -> Just go!

Long story:

Can't recommend Monte enough. I haven't had the chance to see him 1-on-1 outside the clinics, so his clinics are essentially my yearly tune-up.

I was at the first one in Chicago, and Monte has gotten his clinics down in order to pack in as much information as he can to first timers. His goal isn't to overhaul your entire swing, but to make sure you've got a good setup, good takeaway, and remove the one major thing that's giving your swing a hard time. The short game sessions are phenomenal and the course instruction is also fantastic.

To improve, you just have to listen, implement, and leave your ego at the door. I left this last year finally realizing that I don't have to hit the ball far, I hit it more than far enough; really started working on solid, consistent 3/4 shots with controllable speed. It's really upped my game and was more of a mental change, even though we worked hard on the swing as well.

As for swing and scoring improvements, my body feels good and I hit it just as far, if not further with less effort. I was a 10-15 handicapper when I started with Monte and was inconsistent in the 80-90+ range 5 years ago. I'm now around a 5-7 cap and am a few mental breakdowns away from breaking par on 18. I want to be a solid 5 handicap by the end of this year. Goals!

Take a look at his clinic thread, lots of feedback along these lines in there and search and you'll find plenty of info from others who have been to clinics as well.

 

Who the ____ do you think is teaching if it isn't Monte? Is this for real? Okay, one day he brought in Phil because he was under the weather and we blew off the clinic and spent the day in Vegas learning "the hard way", lol.

 

Anyway, quality is top notch, "vibe" is what you make of it, but a great time and lots of learning if you want to learn from Monte and from watching others learn. Key is to let him know anytime something feels weird so he can get you his opinions on that straight away.

 

Excuse my ignorance, haha. Just was curious if it is him plus other instructors. I did some searching and realized he is actually on this forum. New to WRX (although Ive been lurking for more than a year, lol), sorry!

 

Looking at the NJ clinic in July.

Sign up now...the NJ clinic may already be filled.

I have been to three of the clinics and met with Monte for a private lesson after I had a partial amputation of my thumb...he helped put me back on track with my swing and my head. I had him "booked" for something in the order of 4-5 hours but he would charge me for more than I needed, which was less than 2 hours. Post injury I have tied my previous best scores three times this year.

The clinic has a very casual and "group of guys" sort of feeling to it. Those that are hyper-focused either loosen up or probably don't get the entire benefit. The facilities at Royce Brook are fantastic...range, short game area and course. Food is good, atmosphere is high end without being stuffy. Plus, that part of New Jersey is just gorgeous.

Guys line up on the range and warm up while Monte is surveying swings from the shadows...lots of jokes, story telling and just a good time. Monte has a keen eye and doesn't take long to start diagnosing swing issues and formulating an individual plan to achieve the most benefit in the time allotted. I also suspect he looking to see if there is a common swing problem among the group and one person who he can utilize to execute the new move quickly to demonstrate.

Monte "runs the line" and points out issues and fixes that apply to the group. I was not there for the BodiTrak days but the flightscope was set up for all full shot sections. There were a few contest/competitions designed to put some pressure on the swing changes while on the range. The short game and putting was nothing short of amazing and easy to implement.

It is fun to watch Monte hit balls from one side of the range to the other (over 300 yard carry) but the playing lesson really was amazing...he hits the ball nearly 100 yards past me and then walks up from the short side and plops the ball within a few feet of the hole to trickle it down within a foot...all while talking a mile-a-minute. Strategy, thought process, aiming and risk/rewards are discussed when he plays with your group. He hops from group to group during the 18 hole round. He also seems to pair up the right people in the group so that you can learn from each other...happened every time I played. I recall my group with Chris Schnee where he gave me some valuable tips about risk/reward that he has learned...I still use them today.

I don't want you to get the opinion that the NJ clinics were "unstructured"...they were relaxed and enjoyable but obviously purposefully designed to progress through the clinic in an organized fashion. The rain didn't even cause a major problem, plus, the beer is not too expensive! Go, learn, build friendships and develop an instructor relationship. It is fun to send my swing video to Monte and have him remember me personally and what we talked about over the last several years. I have done the same with Dan Carraher in Jacksonville...very valuable to see these guys in person and then connect through the year to work on things.

I hope this helps give you a better idea about the NJ clinic structure...I believe all the others are similar. Good luck!

OP, thanks for the PM and fired off a reply and very similar to the above!

Your clinic deposit is refundable, so nothing lost by getting in!

I've been to Irvine and been to a few clinics - I need the help, lol, and frankly, I enjoy the experiences and it's worth it to me. My oldest daughter and my wife have also participated either out there or at a clinic or both - depending on schedule they may again this summer. And I wouldn't go if I wasn't getting something out of it that helps me enjoy golf better.

Sometimes "feels" don't take or we don't process them like we think we are and Monte is great about keeping after it until what you are trying translates into results, then depending on you and your game, it can be a matter of "what next" and moving to that. A new idea he tried with me in Sioux Falls last summer really resonated with me for full swing ideas, but started with wedge working on it, and until my elbow forced me out late summer I really think I had turned a corner with my swing. A putting idea in Irvine two years ago, with a little checkup on that last summer, was pure gold for me and worth the lesson fees right there, and the short game stuff for me has been a game changer.

Not sure how you measure value, everyone is different. My handicap sits at the lowest it's ever been (lol, probably right back up in the spring) by virtue of some really good rounds last summer after clinic (it was literally right before our trip to Scotland and can't say my golf was great over there with playing too much "golf swing" until, no lie, things came together for my last round of the trip at The Old Course - I won't bore you with the best little pitch I've ever hit and my daughter came up to me on the 17th green and said "thanks Monte", lol - she knew where that shot came from and except for the 3 putt bogey on 18, argh, the round was simply magical) and that was better ball striking, short game, putting - a little better in all of that. Mostly actually taking time to practice a bit in general, haha, and working on that one drill in particular to help with one of my bigger "faults" was the reason I was seeing more consistency and results.

Sorry for the long post. There are lots of good instructors out there, lots who participate on here and it's really about seeing who works for you, but since this thread is specific and Monte works for me (and in my pretty extensive experience) seems to work for lots of other folks at his clinics, I thought I'd amplify a little.

#1 Just go, it’ll be fun.

#2 Royce Brook is pretty sweet for the playing lesson

#3 Schnee will be there and you can give him a ton of cr@p, plus listen to Monte do it for 3 days ?

so if you want to go to one of Monte's clinic's he has them all over the country ,but if you want a one on one with him you have to see him in California is that right ??

so if you want to go to one of Monte's clinic's he has them all over the country ,but if you want a one on one with him you have to see him in California is that right ??

I would assume so

I'm sure Monte would fly anywhere for a private lesson/clinic (like the way Butch Harmon used to teach King Hassan in Morocco)....everyone has a price!

Now whether you can afford it, that is another matter.

Took an online lesson with Monte and its was so helpful, I had to book a one on one with him in Irvine.

I apologize for jumping in but, can anyone provide some tips how to get the most from the lesson?

like show up 1 hour ahead of time to warm up on the range? bring a note book lol? have a list of issues ready?

Sorry, first time ever taking a real lesson from anyone and the info on this thread was really helpful already so I just wanted some insight..

Took an online lesson with Monte and its was so helpful, I had to book a one on one with him in Irvine.

 

I apologize for jumping in but, can anyone provide some tips how to get the most from the lesson?

 

like show up 1 hour ahead of time to warm up on the range? bring a note book lol? have a list of issues ready?

 

Sorry, first time ever taking a real lesson from anyone and the info on this thread was really helpful already so I just wanted some insight..

1. Don't purchase any range balls. Get there early and tell the guys in the shack you have a lesson with Monte. They will tell you where to go if you don't know

2. Monte will have plenty of range balls at his section of the range - use those to warm up

3. Don't worry about the rest - won't take him long to figure out what's going on with your swing

4. Ask questions

5. Match Monte's dry sense of humor if you are able

6. Make sure you get some video of the swings which have his prescribed changes so you have a reference

7. Have fun

Took an online lesson with Monte and its was so helpful, I had to book a one on one with him in Irvine.

 

I apologize for jumping in but, can anyone provide some tips how to get the most from the lesson?

 

like show up 1 hour ahead of time to warm up on the range? bring a note book lol? have a list of issues ready?

 

Sorry, first time ever taking a real lesson from anyone and the info on this thread was really helpful already so I just wanted some insight..

 

1. Don't purchase any range balls. Get there early and tell the guys in the shack you have a lesson with Monte. They will tell you where to go if you don't know

2. Monte will have plenty of range balls at his section of the range - use those to warm up

3. Don't worry about the rest - won't take him long to figure out what's going on with your swing

4. Ask questions

5. Match Monte's dry sense of humor if you are able

6. Make sure you get some video of the swings which have his prescribed changes so you have a reference

7. Have fun

Exactly the info I was looking for! Thank you so much!!

Clinic worth it, 10/10 would do again

The clinic was a great time that allows a unique group environment, but also Monte dedicates enough individual attention to make it worthwhile. I will say I didn't find the last day of on-course instruction quite as valuable as the others; however, I had already purchased and watched many of Monte's videos where he demonstrates some of the speciality on course shots he goes over that day.

I definitely wish I lived much closer to his facility to get regular lessons, as he will find the "feel" that works for the major change you need to implement.

#1 Just go, it'll be fun.

#2 Royce Brook is pretty sweet for the playing lesson

#3 Schnee will be there and you can give him a ton of cr@p, plus listen to Monte do it for 3 days

#3 is the real reason to go, hands down.

Monte is superb

so if you want to go to one of Monte's clinic's he has them all over the country ,but if you want a one on one with him you have to see him in California is that right ??

If he has time you can book a 1:1 lesson with him at the clinic site. A buddy of mine did that two years ago. I don't recall what the hour cost but he said it was well worth the price.

Best money I spend on golf all year, no joke. I wouldn’t hesitate if I were you and tell everyone to go at least once. If you don’t care for the full swing stuff, the short game alone is worth it.

Just got back from a 1 on 1 with Monte. If you are on the fence with a Clinic or in person lesson, JUMP THE FENCE, GO, SIGN UP, DON'T MISS YOUR CHANCE!

The results of going and not going are as different as making a left turn or a right turn when driving. Looking online for a fix is like going to a pharmacy lab and mixing your own meds when your occupation is a truck driver. its dangerous. Monte's surgical with this.

After this one lesson, I understood the problems and fixes too clearly.

He said: "this is all you need to do in your swing"

I asked "this is it forever?"

Monte: "Yeah"

I asked " do a lot of people just see you once?"

Monte nodded yes..

I was shocked.

Once, I get a hold of the swing fixes, I'm going in for a short game lesson for sure. If he could show me how to get a better short game like he did my swing, there's no limit to what my handicap could drop to.

Thank you very much to Monte! And thank you very much to Hawkeye77 (Gregg) for the push towards the right direction when I was on the fence (I also PM'd him about Monte before starting) as well. Much love to Wrx!

Just got back from a 1 on 1 with Monte. If you are on the fence with a Clinic or in person lesson, JUMP THE FENCE, GO, SIGN UP, DON'T MISS YOUR CHANCE!

 

The results of going and not going are as different as making a left turn or a right turn when driving. Looking online for a fix is like going to a pharmacy lab and mixing your own meds when your occupation is a truck driver. its dangerous. Monte's surgical with this.

 

After this one lesson, I understood the problems and fixes too clearly.

 

He said: "this is all you need to do in your swing"

I asked "this is it forever?"

Monte: "Yeah"

I asked " do a lot of people just see you once?"

 

Monte nodded yes..

 

I was shocked.

 

Once, I get a hold of the swing fixes, I'm going in for a short game lesson for sure. If he could show me how to get a better short game like he did my swing, there's no limit to what my handicap could drop to.

 

Thank you very much to Monte! And thank you very much to Hawkeye77 (Gregg) for the push towards the right direction when I was on the fence (I also PM'd him about Monte before starting) as well. Much love to Wrx!

My job is easy when people show up with this backswing. This is timbo.

Just got back from a 1 on 1 with Monte. If you are on the fence with a Clinic or in person lesson, JUMP THE FENCE, GO, SIGN UP, DON'T MISS YOUR CHANCE!

 

The results of going and not going are as different as making a left turn or a right turn when driving. Looking online for a fix is like going to a pharmacy lab and mixing your own meds when your occupation is a truck driver. its dangerous. Monte's surgical with this.

 

After this one lesson, I understood the problems and fixes too clearly.

 

He said: "this is all you need to do in your swing"

I asked "this is it forever?"

Monte: "Yeah"

I asked " do a lot of people just see you once?"

 

Monte nodded yes..

 

I was shocked.

 

Once, I get a hold of the swing fixes, I'm going in for a short game lesson for sure. If he could show me how to get a better short game like he did my swing, there's no limit to what my handicap could drop to.

 

Thank you very much to Monte! And thank you very much to Hawkeye77 (Gregg) for the push towards the right direction when I was on the fence (I also PM'd him about Monte before starting) as well. Much love to Wrx!

.

 

My job is easy when people show up with this backswing. This is timbo.

I reckon some golf can be played from that position.

that back swing was my best interpretation from Drive 4 Dough.

like the car in your picture ,,,lol

The cost of the clinic does Not include any food or lodging does it?

The cost of the clinic does Not include any food or lodging does it?

Correct - it does not. (well, with the exception of the Monte / Chase / Hal Sutton Academy clinic)