Finding the right way to learn Tennis
How do you start yourself or your kids on the way to learning Tennis?
Taking private lessons is the fastest way to get improvement, but it is the most expensive approach. Group lessons can accomplish your objective to improve while keeping the cost of your new sport under control.
Here are a number of reasons why group lessons make sense.
It is a great opportunity to meet other players of equal ability.
Group instruction presents a more social atmosphere than private lessons.
A regular weekly schedule for classes commit you to learning when you have prepaid for a series of lessons, and this is the method most group instruction set up.
It is much less expensive by the hour to learn in a group format where usually the rate is between $10- $20 per hour per student versus private lessons that go from $50 on up to past $100 per hour depending on the market and the background of the teacher.
One of the most important aspects of finding a tennis coach, instructor, or Pro as they are often called is to determine their background in teaching as well as their playing skill.
The term Pro is also used to describe the professional teacher in each of these sports, and has been used interchangeably for both players and teachers.
I often use the phrase term tennis teaching pro to make sure there is no misunderstanding as to what my actual background is when talking to someone. Many very good players never played for money in a professional tournament, but have played college tennis and amateur tournaments. These players make up the majority of the Tennis Teaching Pros throughout the world. Often, the past professional players get into coaching college teams or work at high-end resorts and private clubs where they can claim with some level of authenticity that they were among the best in the world. This cachet is even more valuable with name recognition, and thus you will find many past great players with their own tennis training facility and their names visibly advertised. Still, many of the pros that work at these type of operations come from the vast ranks of college and amateur tennis players that find teaching tennis as a great outlet for their enthusiasm and desire for a tennis lifestyle that it presents.
Instructor Qualifications:
Look for someone with some level of certification from either of the two major Tennis Teaching organizations worldwide, either the Professional Tennis Registry or the United States Professional Tennis Association. Both have Professional certifications that will guarantee that your teacher is a skilled player and has extensive teaching background and knowledge.
Basing your choice of instructors simply on their tournament record is not a sound approach to learning the game. Many highly skilled players have not acquired the specific knowledge necessary analyze strokes and effectively impart playing skills to others. These are distinct areas of preparation that do not necessarily match those found in top athletic performers in tennis.
If you are a beginner it is best to find an instructor that will focus on your ability to acquire the basic skills needed to develop a sound game and hiring a world class player to teach you as a beginner is akin to renting a supercomputer to total up your shopping list when you could do the same with a low cost calculator. It is not only a waste of money and resources, but also most top level coaches generally prefer to work with advanced players rather than beginners.
Here are some characteristics to look for when choosing a Tennis Instructor.
Experience: How long has the instructor been teaching and playing and where? If your instructor is a club Pro at a private or public facility it is more likely they have extensive background.
If you go to many recreation and parks programs you may find that the instructor is a high school student working on a summer job with little experience beyond playing high school tennis, so look for some certification.
Personality: Find one that suits you, be it a fitness coach style with a drill sergeants bark, or someone with more understated demands who will work with you and generally not criticize or require much other than that you hit lots and lots of balls during a lesson. Try to avoid the talker that spends all of their time talking and little demonstrating. Better teachers vary between explanations, demonstration, feeding balls, or running drills with you and the class. If you want a talker you can simply buy or check out a video at the library, or better yet, read a book on the subject. Talkers generally don’t know they are, but haven’t taken the training to avoid this malady.
Methods: Some Pros like to hit balls with you and spend little time on technique while others are technicians that focus on developing your strokes in a methodical fashion. Somewhere in between are those that know the technical requirements needed for developing a good stroke and use simple graduated methods and parcel out your stroke into components that will eventually build your game.
Equipment:
It is not necessary to spend $300 on the latest racket technology that is currently promoted for you to learn the game. Rather than spend this amount, if you can find a racquet that is less than 10 years old with a mid to oversize frame it will most likely work as well for you as the top price models. Spending your money on court time and group instruction will be a much wiser investment than a high priced new racket. A good pair of tennis shoes that offer strong lateral support is a must. Many running shoes do not offer this and can be a source of ankle injury risk.
Ok, so you have your tennis racket and are ready for lessons. Once you begin your classes it is best to remember that it is essential to practice in addition to the time spent in lessons. Not only will this rapidly increase your playing skill, but also you will be able to learn more as your skills increase.
Here is where to find group instruction in Tennis.
Summer group lessons are found at local community colleges, county recreation and park programs, and USTA programs.
Summer camps are a compressed way to get the kids into tennis and depending on the size of the groupings it can be either simply a day of exercise and recreation or a focused way to introduce them into the sport of tennis.
Finding a Pro for private or group instruction is available through online sources.
Tennis Lessons.com
Professional Tennis Registry
United States Professional Tennis Association
Reprinted with Permission from: www.BrentHerrick.com - Copyright 2008
