How to pick a tennis instructor

How do I know if someone is the right instructor for me?

First and foremost is communication.  Do they speak to you in terms that make sense?  Sometimes instructors get tied up in a language of their own and not the language of the student.  To be a good communicator, they need to express ideas in a way that gives you an image of the action desired.  It may be a racket position or a motion they want you to achieve.  The other area of communication is how much information they give you.  Sometimes less is more.  If they just keep talking, they can introduce so many variables that it confuses the issue at hand.  Although, there are those that are information junkies and this may work well for them.  You ultimately have to be the judge.

The second area is whether their lessons are redundant.  If you are not making progress and they keep repeating the same instructions, then it sounds like you’ve reached the end of their vocabulary or capability.  Some instructors are good for beginners, but can’t provide much assistance at a higher level.  Others are great with kids or groups, etc.  Each has their own comfort zone and proper utilization.

Third, do they want you to be a clone of them?  Many instructors can only convey what they feel and how they play.  A good instructor is one that looks at you as an individual and instructs from that perspective.  You may have a different build (height, strength, flexibility, posture) than they have.  These are considerations that may require you to make motions that are dissimilar to theirs.  If they keep forcing you into their positions, it won’t work for you.

Listen to them give lessons to others.  What is their demeanor?  Are they encouraging or demanding?  How does that fit with your personality?  You have to have a good match to get the most out of the instruction.

Are their lessons informational or movement oriented? Do they run you through drills or give a lot of stationary instruction?  What do you want from the lesson?  Some instructors view their time as a time for information and leave it to you between lessons to do the drills for reinforcement.  It’s your money, what do you want?

Do they show up for the lesson with a can of balls or a basket of balls?  The more balls you can hit the quicker you’ll get the feel for the motion.  While I’m on that topic, how good are they at feeding balls?  You need to have a consistent feed to work with.  That is why a ball machine is great for grooving a stroke.  Of course, a ball machine can’t point out the needed corrections.

Finally, how much do they charge?  The only bearing this has on things is to ask “are you getting your money’s worth?”  That is for you to determine.  If not find someone else.  Please do not feel obligated to stay with someone that does not provide you with value.

It’s your money and your game.  Make the most of it.