How expensive are lessons?

[donnyz89]

Im planning to play as much as possible during the summer. but just hitting with friends wont be helpful enough. So im thinking about prolly doing some camp/clinic a few times a week and maybe some private lessons too. My question is are private lessons worth it? I do feel like i need some instructions from a pro that can tell me if im on the right track and stuff but i dont see the point in doing that all the time. I want to become as good as I can. So what would be a reasonable amount of private lessons? I think 1 hr per week should be pretty reasonable as much as effectiveness and the financial aspect of it.

And how expensive are these lessons?

 

[snowpuppy]

boy are they pricey. they can run as cheap as 30 an hr session to like 100 probably with a teaching pro. All they do is take up public courts and steal my tennis balls..... sorry... all they do is feed you balls and tell you stuff that you can read in books. If you want strict regiment I guess you can go for it. But if you are just starting out, just try reading books (or if you are lazy watch videos) and hit against the wall. if you have money to burn, buy a ball feeder. Last but no least, try challege other ppl, ask them to play double, try to play as many different styles and skill lv as possible. Don't be shy. if you see a guy hitting alone, just ask nicely.

 

[MegacedU]

Mine are 50 an hour.

 

[USCfan]

Mine are 100/2 hours at a nearby court...if I drove half an hour to another court, I'd save ten bucks.

 

[MChong]

Well, USCfan, not sure how it is over where you live, but driving half an hour to another court seems at least 15-20 miles; in my parents' car that's about a gallon there and back which comes out to about 5-6 bucks anyways

 

[Jon Hampton]

If you're a 3.5 player and you're looking to get to the next level, a teaching pro is not for you. It'll just be a waste of money, I assure you. Since lessons are expensive...let's say $30-40 an hour, you get a lesson a week, times 10 weeks for the summer...that's $300-400, right? And, for what? To have a guy feed you balls for an hour and shoot the breeze with him? If you're really looking to take it to the next level, you need to make your stroke RELIABLE, and the best way to do that is to invest in a cheap ($500) ball machine. Don't get an expensive one, because at this level, you won't need a 95 mph feed or 50 different settings for topspin. You're just going to need a reliable, easy way to hit a lot of balls. This ball machine will feed you 5 times the amount of balls a pro would and you can work AS LONG AS YOU WANT and WHEN YOU WANT.

Working with a pro once a week is not enough for you. If you don't feel like investing in a ball machine, you should try finding a pro at your local club who isn't really good himself (like a 4.0/4.5'er) and try hitting with him just as a friend so you won't have to pay him.

 

[aces1732]

I get my lessons for $40 only because I know the guy who teaches me. He charges about $60-70 for other people. My coach is probably a strong 5.5 player.

 

[NoBadMojo]

as a long time teaching pro, i gotta disagree that teaching pros are useless. i've helped most everyone, especially 3.5's and higher get to higher levels. good teaching pros do much much more than feed balls. ball machines arent very useful IMO and i would rate them as lowest in the pecking order.. opponents never hit like a ball machine. also most people stick the ball machine on the baseline in the center, and not so many balls come from that angle in the real world. the wall is much much better than a ball machine. so many people hit thousands of balls with a ball machine and all they are doing is grooving bad habits, which then become even more difficult to correct...3.5's usually dont have good stroke production..thats why they are 3.5's. they would benefit from a few good lessons. but there are alot of bad teaching pros so i dont recommend plunking down your money w.o a little research unless you are just on holiday or soemthing and taking a lesson..virtually anyone can be a teaching pro..it's a real problem IMO for the great sport of tennis..they need to do something about that.

 

[anirut]

I'd have to agree with NBM. The wall should be better than a ball machine and it won't cost you anything (other than a few broken balls after sometime of hitting).

You can use the wall to clean up your strokes and timing and you can hit the ball such that you yourself have to run right and left. And with the wall you use and pick up one ball at a time. With a ball machine you'll have to go pickin' and pickin' ...

As for teaching pros ... I really have no idea. I see a lot of crappy teaching pros around where I play ... Yes, they just feed balls and let people hit. They don't even correct the mechanics, no footwork, no swing correction. They even try to teach people to serve WITHOUT telling them HOW to toss the ball correctly.

Not all teaching pros are bad. Try to find a good one. Once you find the right person, tell him/her of your purpose in playing tennis. The person should be able to guide you in the (hopefully) right direction.

My 0.02.

 

[Geezer Guy]

I think taking lessons from a GOOD teaching pro is a good way to improve, although it is expensive. I recommend finding 1 or MAYBE 2 friends that are also interested in improving, and taking SMALL group lessons. Don't get in a group with a bunch of people (although these can be fun), but getting in a SMALL group where the group decides on what the pro will teach is a good investment. It'll be cheaper, so you'll get more lessons for the same amount of money, and you and your classmates can practice what the pro taught you AFTER the lesson.

Remember that JUST taking the lessons won't make you better. You need to put into practice whatever you've been taught. That's why it helps having someone else take the lesson's that's just as committed to improving as you are.

 

[peter]

I think taking lessons from a GOOD teaching pro is a good way to improve, although it is expensive. I recommend finding 1 or MAYBE 2 friends that are also interested in improving, and taking SMALL group lessons. Don't get in a group with a bunch of people (although these can be fun), but getting in a SMALL group where the group decides on what the pro will teach is a good investment. It'll be cheaper, so you'll get more lessons for the same amount of money, and you and your classmates can practice what the pro taught you AFTER the lesson.

Remember that JUST taking the lessons won't make you better. You need to put into practice whatever you've been taught. That's why it helps having someone else take the lesson's that's just as committed to improving as you are.

I gotta agree 100% with this - the above is exactly what I've been doing the last 1½ year - I've been taking group lessons (1 hour per week) for a really good teaching pro together with a group of guys (the groups has typically consisted of 3-4 players) of similar age ( 32-38 ), capabilities and interest in improving, and then we've also been practicing a couple of hours per week in various constellations (singles play mostly) - and to that added some tournaments and series matches.

We play in two opposing teams - and we have a match coming up between our two teams next week or so...

This has been really useful in improving our strokes and the tactics we use oncourt. One of the best things I've done so far (I've never before participated in any kind of tennis clinics/schools or anything).

I've tried the ball-machine stunt also, and it helps - a bit - but you _really_ need to have a good pro looking and correcting your strokes _before_ you commit them to stone at a ball machine.

We pay something like $20/hour for one hour/week more or less year around (with a summer break during july).

 

[donnyz89]

I think taking lessons from a GOOD teaching pro is a good way to improve, although it is expensive. I recommend finding 1 or MAYBE 2 friends that are also interested in improving, and taking SMALL group lessons. Don't get in a group with a bunch of people (although these can be fun), but getting in a SMALL group where the group decides on what the pro will teach is a good investment. It'll be cheaper, so you'll get more lessons for the same amount of money, and you and your classmates can practice what the pro taught you AFTER the lesson.

Remember that JUST taking the lessons won't make you better. You need to put into practice whatever you've been taught. That's why it helps having someone else take the lesson's that's just as committed to improving as you are.

yes, my coach is trying to set up me and some other top varsity players with lessons. but i dont think it will be all summer so im trying to get some lessons and playing in on my own.

 

[Jon Hampton]

i've helped most everyone, especially 3.5's and higher get to higher levels.

Yes, I'm sure that's true, but it takes much longer...how long would it take to go from 3.5 to 4.5 getting an hour lesson once a week with you?

good teaching pros do much much more than feed balls. ball machines arent very useful IMO and i would rate them as lowest in the pecking order

Yes, they talk and give creative feedback. But, they also talk about their problems, how their dog died, etc., which is really distracting. I think that ball machines are very useful in producing a uniform stroke.

opponents never hit like a ball machine

Very true, which is why I think people need to hit a lot of balls that don't have any specific action on them. I've hit with pros who hit the ball higher than anyone should PRACTICE (something like Nadal) and some who choke up on the racket and hit balls that have 6" on clearance off the ground. Now, you tell me what the benefit is in getting balls like that is.

3.5's usually dont have good stroke production..thats why they are 3.5's

In my opinion, not necessarily true. From what I have seen, 3.5'ers don't necessarily have bad strokes, instead they have poor execution of shots, mostly because they don't hit enough balls to feel comfortable.

virtually anyone can be a teaching pro

This is unfortunately, very true. All you have to do is take a class to be considered a "developmental coach" and basically you can just go ahead and teach from there, telling others that you're certified.

 

[NoBadMojo]

jon i disagree with most of what you said, but would like to respond since you directed a question at me, ad maybe what i write can help someone. there is no way in the world to tell how long it would take for a player to go from a 3.5 to a 4.5..there are a number of elements at play that don;t involve the teaching pro. quite frankly, there are ocassions where the answer might be that a person will never get to a 4.5 level..some people just arent athletic or athletic in the right way for tennis..the main thing is they enjoy playing and get a workout. for those interested, what i think ideal for someone who has been playing for a while, is to get a small package of privates..maybe 3 or so and space them far enough apart where you have the time to 'start' to groove what you have learned. in the 3 sessions, you can accomplish alot. find a drill partner as good or sligtly better than you and if you cant find someone who likes to drill, sign up for a 'good' clininc..by good i mean players of similar levels where you go out hit all the shots and hit a large volume of balls. mix in some match play, the wall, some dubs, and you are pretty much maximizing things and giving yourself the best chance of improving....i think it best to do this all locally over a good time span rather than go off to some camp where you get everything crammed in and the playing levels are all over the map..and then you cme home and there isnt a pro around who knows your game if you need help. after that and periodically it is a good idea to go back to the TP from time to time and see how you have ingrained your strokes into muscle mem and to make adjustments as necessary

 

[Candace Gilbert]

I am a 3.5 player, when I'm on top of my game I'm playing like a 4.0, but the biggest thing keeping me from reaching the next level is my consistency and depth. I've been doing lessons with a couple different pros, and their comments and instruction have been helpful. However, I don't know how many times they have broken my flow to come up to the net and make just a general comment. Not to mention, the instructor is human. They can have bad days and you still pay them money when they feed the ball into the net. Just doing a lesson with a pro is not going to miraculously make your skill level increase; you are going to get used to a pro's style, and that won't do you any good. Playing against many different people of different levels will help you on the competition side of your game, but to develop stroke consistency, there's nothing better than a ball machine. It's going to let you tweak every last inch of your stroke... and then you can mold it as needed against your opponents.

 

[ProStaffTour90]

My coach charges £16 (Just under $30) for an hour. He's a top coach aswell. LTA Level 1.

I get to hit with him for free though, which helps alot