Get the Most Out of Your Private Tennis Lessons

Last Updated: Jun. 19, 2014

In This Article: Set Goals Break Tennis into Specific Skills Review your Goal

Taught by experienced professionals, private tennis lessons are best suited for the beginner who wants to learn the game quickly. Group lessons can vary in size and students may not get a lot of one-on-one time with the instructor. You may not want to get lost in the crowd or slowed down when attempting to learn tennis fundamentals or improve on basic skills. Since private lessons are the most expensive option, how can you or your child benefit the most?

 Set Goals

Think about why you're taking lessons and what you want to achieve. Write down your goals and take them with you. If your instructor makes you feel uncomfortable with this approach, consider looking for another teacher.

 Break Tennis into Specific Skills

It’s easy to fall into the trap of mindlessly hitting balls with your instructor because it’s fun and not very challenging. Maybe you want to learn to hit solid ground strokes more consistently, serve more accurately, or serve with more power. Or maybe you’re at a point where you would like to learn to hit a down-the-line backhand winner or a one-handed volley on the run. Be specific!

 Review your Goal

After a set number of lessons, ask yourself whether you've achieved what you wanted at this point. If you didn't, decide whether you should try again with the same instructor (maybe you didn't give enough time), reset your goals, or move on (maybe this wasn't the instructor for you).