Choosing the right tennis instructor can have a significant impact on your tennis journey, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced player looking to improve your skills. Finding a good coach can help with your skill development and increase your enjoyment of the game. Here are some tips on how to choose the best tennis instructor for your needs.
Assess Your Skill Level and Goals
Before you start searching for a tennis instructor, it is helpful to know your current skill level and what you hope to achieve with a coach. When speaking with potential instructors, they may ask for your NTRP rating. If you don’t know it, check out this explanation.
What to Look for in a Coach
Credentials
Once you’re ready to reach out to tennis coaches, ask about their certifications. An instructor who holds certifications from the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) or the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) has undergone rigorous training and meets industry standards.
Experience
In addition to credentials, consider the instructor’s experience both as a player and a coach. While success as a player is valuable, a good player isn’t necessarily a good coach. Ask questions about how long they’ve been coaching and if they have experience coaching players at your level. Also consider the instructor’s experience with coaching different age groups. Working with children is a different skill than working with adults.
Teaching Style and Compatibility
Once you’ve established a list of a few coaches with valid credentials and solid experience, consider their teaching style and personalities. Every coach has a unique teaching style. Some are more focused on skill development, while others may incorporate strategy or fitness. Figure out what you need and what would be most helpful for you. You should also consider the instructor’s communication skills and whether or not you get along. Some might prefer an enthusiastic, encouraging coach, while others might be looking for someone to whip them into shape. The bottom line is deciding whether or not you feel comfortable working with the coach.
Where to Find a Coach
Recommendations
Getting a recommendation from a friend is probably the best place to start since your friend will be able to tell you about the coach’s strengths and weaknesses, fees, and whatever else you may want to know. If you don’t have any friends who are tennis players, you can also ask for recommendations in social media groups and forums.
Reviews
Another place to start is to do an internet search and read reviews for coaches in your area. We use the internet to find all kinds of information nowadays, and finding a tennis instructor is no different. Just make sure to read the good and bad reviews since people tend to write reviews if they’re really happy or really dissatisfied with an experience.
Local Club
If there’s a local country club or tennis club in your area, then you can find out about the pros that work there and whether or not you need to be a member to take lessons there. The benefit of taking lessons at a club is knowing that the instructors have already been vetted.
Other Considerations
Group vs. Private Lessons
As you look into tennis coaches, you need to consider whether you want to take group or private lessons. Group lessons will be cheaper, but you won’t get much individual attention, which means it’ll take longer to make progress. If you want to take group lessons, you’ll also have to find a group of players with similar skills as yours since it will be difficult for a coach to simultaneously teach players with a wide range of skills.
Logistics
Logistics should also be a consideration when looking for a tennis instructor. Is there a coach who already gives lessons in your neighborhood? Would you rather drive further to work with someone with more experience? What time of day do they offer lessons? Make sure that you find someone who can work with your schedule.
Responsiveness
Lastly, when you reach out to various coaches to inquire about their experience and availability, consider their responsiveness. Do they follow up quickly? Would rescheduling a lesson be easy and convenient? While responsiveness or lack thereof might not mean the instructor is not a good coach, it does play a factor when it comes to scheduling and other logistics.
Conclusion
Whether or not you need a tennis coach to improve and reach your desired level is completely up to you. If you have determined that you would like to find an instructor, consider your goals, research various instructors in your area, see if you can take a trial lesson before you commit, and compare factors like scheduling and distance. The right coach can guide you to the next level and help you to reach your full potential.
