An outline of the advantages and disadvantages of one-to-one teaching for students.

Thinking about taking one-to-one classes? This list of advantages and disadvantages from the perspective of the student might be useful to think about, when making the decision. It's also useful to be aware of the disadvantages, so you can think about how to tackle them, for better lessons for both yourself and your student.

Advantages

• You will see faster improvements
• You have the constant attention of the coach,
• You can decide on the content of the lesson,
• Your strengths and weaknesses are addressed more consistently and fully without the competition of other players for the coach's attention,
• Fewer time constraints. Unlike group classes, one-to-one lessons are taken when suitable to you (and your coach),
• The coach will adapt the language used and the teaching methodology to your needs.

Disadvantages

• Cost.
• It can be difficult to measure progress without other players to compare with and the possible lack of a pre-planned session.
• The lesson format can become monotonous if a teacher lacks the confidence to experiment with change of pace and type of activity. They might assume a student would not be open to activities such as strength & conditioning, footwork, etc...
• There is a potential for exhaustion, as there can be a constant interaction between the coach and the player (generally applies to younger players)

If you are serious about improving and have goals such as joining the LTA team at your club, moving to the team above yours, winning the club championship, etc... then one-to-one lessons are a must. Regular one-to-one lessons will help you improve so much faster that other players will find it difficult to keep up with your improvement.