1. A Difficult Process
Finding good tennis instructors and tennis coaches is difficult. The
vast majority are former college or high school players who look
reasonably good hitting a ball, but have little actual teaching
experience.Indeed, they've seldom studied basic principles of
education, read books about proper technique, taken courses in the basic
principles of teaching progressions and tennis coaching, or attained
certification by either the PTR (Pro Tennis Registry) or USPTA (US Pro
Tennis Association).
Always ask your potential Tennis Instructors
their NTRP rating, if they are nationally certified (which association
and level: low, medium, or high), whether they have ever been ranked
highly in the USTA, the number of years they have been teaching
professionally, the ages and levels of the students they have taught,
the types of locations at which they have taught (year-round indoor
centers vs. part-time outdoor summer camps), and which notable authors
they have read.
And, while you're talking to your potential Tennis
Coaches, try to gain an understanding of their level of
professionalism, dedication, level of maturity, type of personality
(personable; gregarious), and their ability to communicate clearly and
effectively.
2. Expect RAPID Results
You're paying good money to take tennis lessons, and you've got a
right to expect good results soon. If you have difficulty understanding
your Tennis Teachers during your tennis lessons and have been
progressing slowly, stop crossing your fingers hoping you'll one day
have a magical epiphany and suddenly improve.
Instead, demand
results NOW while you're on-court, and not at some later time. If your
Tennis Teachers are truly worth their grain of salt, you'll start
improving with your very first tennis lesson, and will continue to
improve with each successive tennis lesson.
A good Tennis Teacher is absolutely worth the price. A poor Tennis Teacher simply waists your time and money.
3. National Certification
While certification does not guarantee a GREAT Tennis Coach, it
certainly guarantees a reasonable minimum level of expertise. It's
unfortunate, but the vast majority of Tennis Coaches are unable to
measure up to this requirement.
Always ask your potential Tennis Instructors and Tennis Coaches if they are nationally certified, and to which level.
The
PTR and the USPTA are the only two well-respected, USTA-sanctioned,
certifying bodies in the USA, and both have been certifying Tennis
Coaches for almost 35 years. They certify Tennis Instructors to
essentially three ascending tennis coaching levels (low; medium; high).
Good Tennis Coaches always work and study hard to periodically retest and elevate their certification to the highest level.
4. NTRP Level
It's simply impossible for a Tennis Teacher to teach you to do
something he/she can not already do him/herself, regardless of what
he/she might think or claim.
So, if a Tennis Teacher only has an
NTRP of 4.0, he/she can not teach you to play at NTRP 4.5 or higher. If
you happen to improve beyond your Tennis Teachers NTRP level, it is
solely due to your own abilities, not your Tennis Teacher's.
Always
ask your potential Tennis Teachers their NTRP level. It is ill-advised
to settle for a lower NTRP level for the sake of a lower price. You will
only get what you paid for, with little or no lasting improvement.
Instead, demand a high NTRP level to better assure yourself of more
rapid improvement.
5. Ranking in the USTA
While a higher USTA (United States Tennis Association) player
ranking is no guarantee of getting good tennis lessons, it certainly
does help. Tennis Instructors who have never been ranked, or have never
even competed for a USTA ranking, should be avoided.
Always ask your potential Tennis Instructors about their current and/or past rankings: The higher, the better.
6. Years and Kind of Experience
There's no substitute for experience. But, tennis teaching
experience can be gained in a variety of settings. These include
year-round indoor and outdoor facilities, as well as outdoor summer-only
institutions such as adult and junior camps, recreation department
programs, and country clubs. The tennis teaching experience a Tennis
Instructor gains at a summer kids' camp is greatly inferior to that
gained at a year-round club. This impacts directly on the quality of
your tennis lessons.
Always ask your potential Tennis Instructors exactly where they have gained their experience.
7. Experience Teaching Different
Ages, Levels, and Groups: Different ages and levels require
different approaches and techniques when it comes to tennis instruction.
If
your potential Tennis Instructor has spent the bulk of his/her time
teaching children, he/she will be hard-pressed to provide proper tennis
instruction to you as an adult. The skills required to teach privately
to a single person are very different and more demanding than teaching a
group.
Always ask your potential Tennis Instructors how much time
they have spent teaching people of your own age and level, as well as
whether they have taught group and private lessons.
8. Expert Knowledge of Proper Technique
Knowledge is critical, and a great Tennis Instructor gains it only
from the great effort he/she has made to educate himself/herself. He/she
needs to have read a large quantity and variety of tennis instruction
books, viewed a sufficient number of instructional videos, and attended
many salient courses and workshops on proper stroke technique. There are
no short-cuts.
Always ask your potential Tennis Instructor how he/she has gained his/her knowledge.
9. Communication Ability
Regardless of the depth of your Tennis Coach's knowledge of proper
technique, this information is useless if he/she is unable to
communicate it to you clearly and concisely.
When you speak with
your potential Tennis Instructor, always listen to the manner in which
he/she expresses him/herself. If you are unable to clearly understand
him/her during your initial discovery process, chances are you will be
just as bewildered while on court.
10. Personality
Although Personality is presented here last, it is by no means less
important than the other considerations. Indeed, a personable,
gregarious, punctual, reliable, mature professional who is also upbeat,
encouraging, enthusiastic, and animated makes for a fun time on the
court.
When you have your initial conversation to discuss tennis lessons, always remember to look for these inviting traits.