How to take a tennis lesson

The first thing to identify when taking a lesson is what you want to accomplish.  Is this a new stroke or a change of stroke?  As an example, the serve may be new to a beginner, but a more advanced player may want to add a new type of serve.

Next, how much time are you willing to commit to learn the stroke?  Will you commit practice time between lessons that is focused on the stroke?  It can take a year or two to develop proficiency with no practice.  Or, it can be a few months with a dedicated practice plan.

A lesson (your money) should be spent on understanding the technique and moving you toward the ability to perform this technique repeatedly.  Your teaching pro should be helping you to incrementally gain this proficiency over time.  If each lesson is just a repeat, then someone is not doing their job.  The pro is not using a progression system for you or you are not putting in the necessary practice time between lessons to be ready for the next step in the progression.

Let’s look at the serve.  Depending on your goal (flat, slice, kick/topspin), the lesson should follow a few basics. Stance, grip, toss, full motion, racket position at contact and follow through.  Each of these has exercises that provide you with the feel and balance you need.  Depending on your current level of play, it may take several lessons to attain these.  Between lessons you should be doing shadow swings every day.  If you ceiling at home will allow it, practice the swing in slow motion.  Feel the sensation of each position as you pass through it.  Don’t worry about the toss.  That can be practiced outside.  Slow motion is essential.  In an actual swing, things happen so fast that it is impossible to isolate one element.

Then take a basket of balls to the court at least twice between lessons and hit at least 100 balls.  Take your time and focus on each swing.  The goal isn’t to hit 100 serves.  The goal is to focus on 100 swings.  Try to recreate the feel you had at home.  Don’t worry about pace or placement in the beginning.  Once you can repetitively put the ball in with the correct motion and spin (if slice or topspin), then add placement as a goal.

This is also where you can work on your toss against the fence or toss and let drop on the court for location.  Taking a camera to the court and then reviewing it at home can help you to become your own coach and let you see what you are doing.  Sometimes we think we are doing it correctly only to be shocked when we see how it really looks.  Being your own coach is not a replacement for the pro.  A pro sees things you can’t and understands how every thing is connected.  They also know what corrective steps are the best.

Your success with lessons is dependent on your commitment to practice.  Good luck with your next lesson.