Lesson FAQ

Tennis Lessons in Tokyo

John Hoffman, Professional Tennis Coach

Tennis Lesson FAQ

*I often get questions like these before I work with someone for the first time. I suspect that there are many more questions out there that have not yet been answered, so please feel free to contact me with any questions you do have. I will include them into this list right away.

1. What's the difference between a Private lesson and a Semi-Private lesson?

The main difference is the number of people involved during the lesson. A private lesson will be one student to one coach, while a semi-private lesson will be two players sharing the same coach.

Beyond that, other differences are that during a private lesson, the coach will do exactly what you want/need for that lesson, while during a semi-private, the content of the lesson will be shared with the other person's wants/needs. Sometimes these will be the same, other times different.

2. Is a private lesson better for me, or a group lesson?

This depends upon what you need from the lesson. If you need time to develop a specific skill, or skills, then a private lesson will be better. If you desire a more social experience, or being able to play with different people, or have budgetary restraints, then the group lesson will be better.

3. Can I bring my friend to a lesson, even if they are a different level than me?

Of course, but be aware that if the two of you play at the same time, this may impact the quality of the lesson, as the coach will need to adjust for your friends different skill level. A good coach can minimize the negative impact this adjustment may cause, but there may still be some bumps along the way.

4. Does court surface matter to a lesson?

Ultimately, no, but there are a few instances where a specific court surface can be more enjoyable than another.

For example, if you have sore knees or a bad back, a softer court will be more forgiving, and easier to play on.

Clay courts or omni-courts will usually dry faster after rain.

As well, if you are working on movement and control within your game, a slow court like clay will help.

If you are competing regularly on a hard court, then any lessons you take, should also be on a hard court.

5. What do I need to bring to a tennis lesson?

Beyond yourself, and the proper tennis attire and shoes, nothing. If you need a racquet to borrow, most coaches will carry a few with them, or can bring some to the court of you give them advance notice.

6. Can I take a lesson with my child(children)?

Of course, but similar to playing with another player of differing levels, this situation will force the coach to adjust the lesson accordingly.

Also, some children feel pressure when a parent is around, as they want to please the parent, thus impacting the child's ability to enjoy the lesson, and to have fun in the lesson. It may be best to take separate lessons.

7. What should happen in a good lesson? What should I expect?

Every lesson should have all of these three elements: Fun, fitness and knowledge.

Depending upon your needs for that lesson, and the coaches specialty, you may have more of one than the others, but aspects of all three should be present in each lesson.

8. How should a lesson program work with my regular play?

A general rule, to help you get the most out of your lesson time, is to play at least 3-7 hours between lessons, working on what you have learned. Of course, for many people this is not possible, so just try to play as often as possible outside of your lesson time.

9. I am a Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced player. What should I be doing in a private lesson, to get the maximum benefit?

If you are a beginning level player:

-Just bring an enthusiastic attitude, and get ready to learn lots of new skills. The lesson will be primarily an introduction to the basic tennis skills and movements, and eventually strengthening those skills enough that you can play socially at your club or with your friends.

If you are an intermediate level player:

-You will be developing those basic skills and movements to a higher level. You will also be developing your ability to attack and defend, and to utilize various strategies in your competitive game. There will also be plenty of match play with the coach, to practice those tactics.

If you are an advanced level player:

-Advanced players know exactly what they need to have worked on, so the lessons usually get more specific with regards to technical or tactical problems. Advanced players also usually want to practice specific drills and point combinations that they will use when playing real matches. Depending upon the playing level of the coach, intense practice sets are also played.

10. What should a tennis lesson cost?

A difficult question to answer, but... Much of the price will depend upon the coaches experience and skill, and the city in which the coach is working. Also, many tennis coaches will offer a reduced hourly fee if you sign up for many lessons at once. For example, paying for 4 hours, gets you the 5th for half price, etc. Investigate what other fees per hour are, and see where your coach stands in this area. If it seems fair, then it probably is.