I can't speak for clinics.
Haven't been to one in years, once I became a SERIOUS 3.5
(2.5 sandbagger gunning for Nationals)
Group lessons are a total waste of money.
Group lessons are a total waste of money.
I don't even want to use the word lesson, since you're not taught jack.
They are entertainment for retired folks.
Serious players do not take group lessons.
Tell her to learn to deal with 1-1 coaching.
I have never gotten a single useful tip in a "clinic"
What kind of analysis and feedback are you going to get with 7 other people standing around?
None, that's what.
Clinics are chaperoned point games, like babysitting kids.
A clinic can be run by someone who literally has never played tennis.
Total and absolute waste of time and money.
Further, if level is below 4.5,
you're just reinforcing broken strokes into muscle memory.
You're better off not even playing, at that point.
And even if you got a useful tip, it's useless unless you drill it for 100's of reps.
Otherwise, you do it twice, then go back to your old habits.
The proof?
People take 3.0 level clinics for decades and never leave 3.0
People take 3.5 level clinics for decades and never leave 3.5
If they do get better, it's never because of the clinic.
$50 clinic weekly is $2000/year. $10k in 5 years, with zero improvement. Same garbage strokes.
Take that same $2000, and allocate it toward 40 private lessons, and you will see a true difference.
IMHO, group lessons/clinics are a horrendous waste of money, assuming you're trying to become a better player
The problem is Dunning Kruger.
And, people get bad coaching (or none at all) and do not even know it.
Ever clinic I've ever observed shows to me the players are going backwards in their development
by grooving broken strokes into muscle memory, with zero correction or drill.
Just amusing games for bored kids and grannies.
Pros don't take group clinics.
People buy their rackets and shoes, but then train nothing like pros.
The difference in private lessons is that you're drilling and isolating and doing the reps during the lesson.
I don't take lessons for "tips" That's idiotic after learning the basics.
Lessons are to do 100's of correct reps with live feedback!
So, you can take lessons and not do a lick of HW, and you will absolutely start to develop the right muscle memory.
That is assuming you have a decent coach.
Most coaches can't coach worth a **** since they do nothing but coach 2.0 level grannies and children all day.
This is the eternal debate I have in my head when I see people in groups/clinics.
On the one hand, your group kid is at least playing, so that's good.
On the other hand, he is developing junk mechanics, so he's going backwards.
Clinics only reinforce bad habits that will need to be broken later, if he ever gets serious.
The bottom line is that tennis is work. Very hard work.
Training a D1 bound colllege kid requires both: Playing, and playing correctly.
Very few people ever do both
Being in a clinic run by Federer himself is a total and complete waste of time.
You will walk out with no difference in your game. None. Zero. Zilch.
Tennis is not about "tips"
Tips are 1%.
If tips meant anything, everyone who ever watched a YouTube video would be a 5.0
The 99% is doing 100,000,000 correct reps.
Even an "advanced" 4.5+ clinic I attended was exactly that: Ball feed and keep score.
A paralyzed librarian could have run the clinic.
I think the only people who should do clinics are those who are already experts
and simply want a venue for hitting balls. For that, I'd call it "group drilling"
But, for anyone who is still developing strokes, clinics is a waste of their time and money.
No feedback. No stroke correction. No drilling correct reps.
Just reinforcing bad habits. Utility is either zero or negative.
When I see kids in clinics, I see them arming the ball with zero guidance, training, or feedback.
Just ball feeds and keeping track of score.
I think to myself, they are going backwards, if they ever intend on playing real tennis.
If you're enjoying it, you're doing it wrong.
You know why pros break down and cry when they win?
B/c of the blood, sweat, and tears they shed to get there.
Not because they had fun clinics with friends.
Want to be great at tennis?
You need to leave your friends and family and move into a tennis camp in Siberia.
Or Florida. LOL!
