Unlike group lessons, one-to-one lessons in most cases are not pre-planned by the coach (unless you are booked onto one of my special one-to-one packages).
Therefore you might be wasting some precious time and a lot of money. In today’s tennis market, a private tennis lesson might cost up-to £250 per hour (hourly rate for Louis Cayer - Jamie Murray's coach) but generally between £25 to £100 per hour depending on the qualifications (LTA level 3 being the minimum LTA requirement for one-to-one coaching), experience, knowledge and location (i.e. a good LTA level 3 coach in Chelsea can easily charge £90 per hour but would only charge £25 in Helmsdale (North of Scotland).
How to ensure that you get the most of your 60-minute lesson?
Research: Before chosing a coach, do some research.
- Is the coach LTA qualified? if yes, then you know he/she is trained to coach tennis, DBS checked and insured.
- Is the coach at least LTA Level 3? Level 3 is the minimum LTA entry for one-to-one coaching (Level 1 & 2 are Coach Assistants only with a basic technical knowledge and are not insured by the LTA for one-to-one lessons).
- Has the coach got a website? very often coaches will have their own website where they can give more information on their experience, extra qualifications and courses (i.e. Strength & conditioning, time spent with international level coaches, etc...), philosophy, and many more. Not all Level 3 coaches are equal hence the importance of learning more before chosing your coach.
Arrive early: Warmup at least 15 minutes before your lesson. It will help you to be physically and mentally ready. You can also use that time to observe part of the person's lesson before yours to see how the coach presents information and what is expected of the student.
Have a plan: Tell the coach what you want to improve most and your expectations of the lesson. Don't forget to be precise. For example instead of telling your coach "I would like to work on my forehand" consider telling your coach "I would like to work on my defensive forehand when running out wide".
Be open to suggestions: Ask the coach what they believe would benefit your game or advance your level of play.
Write it down: Once the lesson is over it's easy to forget what you just learned. Writing down what you learned from the lesson helps you to remember by solidifying information or concepts.
Film your lesson: Seeing yourself in action is a huge learning experience. You could even share your video with your coach to create a database of your improvements.
Share a lesson: Each of you will recall different pieces of the lesson. When you practice together, help the other recall what tips were key and what drills to practice.
If you follow these simples steps you could easily gain 15 minutes per session. That is £6.25 saved for a lesson at £25 per hour.