Rating quality of tennis instructors in your area?

[Japanese Maple]

I truly believe that most tennis teaching pros are merely collecting a pay check and no way should they be teaching tennis nor charging 50/60 per hour. Although there are many excellent teaching pros in most towns who truly love what they are doing and keep up with the modern game, most do not. I honestly feel that these pros started teaching after college and now after many years are bored and feel trapped with no where else to go. These pros do not keep up with the modern techniques and strategies, and sadly could care less. It infuriates me to see a young child or adult just starting out and the pro spends most of the hour talking with very little hitting and the actual instruction is poor. Just because you were a good player once doesn't qualify you to be a competent instructor. Thank god for sites like tennisplayer.net to get outstanding technical instruction. Don't get me wrong, good tennis instructors are invaluable for your development as a player but the operative word is"good"-very few are unfortunately! For those tennis pros who truly love and study the game , please don't be offended and I applaud you for being a true professional. I am sure you too must get frustrated trying to fix problems another pro created and would agree that most tennis instructors are not very good, although they may mean well.

[Geezer Guy]

For the most part, I disagree. I'd say that ALL the pro's that I have hit with for any length of time have had a personal interest in seeing me improve. Sure each has his own style, personality and teaching techniques, and I "click" better with some than others, but I think they've almost all given a damn.

The only time I've had lack-luster and uninspired instruction is occasionally when I've dropped in at one of those "stroke-of-the-day" things at a tennis resort. Sometimes in that setting you find a pro that just does the same old thing day in and day out - practically in his sleep. Those guys will probably work themselves out of business sooner or later.

For the most part, though, the tennis instruction I've had has been pretty good.

[smoothtennis]

Nah, I agree, many of these local teaching pro's are stuck in the 70's as far as teaching technique. The one's I have seen care, yes they care about their students. But they don't teach modern tennis stroke mechnanics. Some can't even discuss it because they simply don't know this stuff. The worst part? I have some that hit the ball using WW technique, yet don't really know how to teach it.

I might sound a little nutty, and sure I am. But I took my 11 yr old son out two weeks ago to try an experiment. He does not play tennis yet, and had not learned anything but to bunt the ball over the net for fun.

I took him AT HOME BEFORE WE LEFT TO GO TO THE COURT, and showed him how to place his feet in a three quarter open stance (semi-closed). I showed him a simple takeback (unit turn). I showed him how to pronate his forearm, pointing the butt cap to the imaginary ball, upon the initiation of his forward swing (allowing the racket to drop, with a laid back wrist). I have him doing the double bend, and told him NOT to use his wrist, but to just let it release across his body naturally. He practiced this for 5 minutes, no longer.

We went to the court, and I swear to heaven, within 30 minutes, this kid was hitting topspin forehands that were compressing and jumping off the court! They looked like a good 3.5 ball from a man. My kid can't play tennis! But I show him some simple modern stuff and in 30 minutes he is hitting topspin that pushers would have wished for.

Naw, it wasn't real pretty don't get me wrong there. He is a kid, absolutely brand new to tennis. But every fourth ball, he would hit ONE, and it was a beauty, and I am laughing my butt off in amazement. So was he.

My point is, you take a kid to a teacher today, they won't learn this stuff. The one's that get it, seem to pick it up off other players that are higher level. Visual learning. You tell a kid not to use that wrist, do you think they listen? Heck no, they figure out what works to crush that ball and they do it. I have played some SuperChamp kids, and they love nothing more than to get a midcourt ball while I am at net, and CRUSH it right into my hip as hard as they can---with a big smile on their face.

I say this because I personally know a top junior who used a WW stroke and played college tennis. I asked him directly about WW forehand technique that he uses and all, and he honestly said not one instructor taught him that. He just learned it over time, playing.

[SFrazeur]

A lot of instructors do not learn modern tennis because they do not have to. Some are are high up enough at facilities that they get students without a lot of competition.

Again, lack of competition is one reason. There are instructors that have taught the same lessons for decades and are making 45,000+ a year are not updating because they do not need to. I know some instructors treat certain students like their cash cows. They take two hours a week from them for years, at lest $40 an hour. $80 bucks a week about 45+ weeks a year, for what?

Students do not know better so they do not know worse. I feel sad when I see people, kids especially, being taught far less than they are capable of.

-SF

[MooreTennis]

Wow, you guys must have it mega bad in the states to have comments such as 'stuck in the 70's". I definitely thought you guys would have been at the forefront of all of that.

I know out here in Australia, we have to go through regular updating to retain our accreditation and that means going and attending seminars, coaching nights and so on.

From my point of view, its great to teach modern tennis techniques. I know I do as much as possible. You can then explain to the "(insert fav tennis player here) does this when they hit the ball".

But the majority of students that you get are there to have a good time and be with friends, or really do not want to be there.

And sometimes its not easy for kids to pick up the modern techniques straight away, and they have to learn how to hit first and get some success before they can start going out there and ripping shots all over the court. Out here we look for good athletes, if the kid is co-ordinated it makes it a lot easier to teach this stuff to them.

Im disappointed that it seems many people on this forum have such a lowly/dim view of coaches. But if it is really that bad over there, then I have to agree and say its a justified comment.

Anthony

[Japanese Maple]

Wow, you guys must have it mega bad in the states to have comments such as 'stuck in the 70's". I definitely thought you guys would have been at the forefront of all of that.

I know out here in Australia, we have to go through regular updating to retain our accreditation and that means going and attending seminars, coaching nights and so on.

From my point of view, its great to teach modern tennis techniques. I know I do as much as possible. You can then explain to the "(insert fav tennis player here) does this when they hit the ball".

But the majority of students that you get are there to have a good time and be with friends, or really do not want to be there.

And sometimes its not easy for kids to pick up the modern techniques straight away, and they have to learn how to hit first and get some success before they can start going out there and ripping shots all over the court. Out here we look for good athletes, if the kid is co-ordinated it makes it a lot easier to teach this stuff to them.

Im disappointed that it seems many people on this forum have such a lowly/dim view of coaches. But if it is really that bad over there, then I have to agree and say its a justified comment.

Anthony

Thats interesting that in Australia tennis pros have to attend seminars to retain their accreditation-how often do you have to do this? No such thing exist here in the states, and teaching pros do not even have to get certified by either the USPTA or the USRA to teach tennis at major clubs. I feel many pros could care less about updating their knowledge of the modern game but still can charge $40-$75/hr. which is a joke!

[Serve em Up]

Almost all of the pro's at our club are active players in USTA tourneys. They play competively still within their age groups and the club members follow their results. In genuine show of support, not for judging their ability. All of our pro's take a real interest in their students improvement and encourage competitive play in and out of the club..