Tennis Sarasota
7 Things to Look for When Choosing a Tennis Instructor.. by John Barbagallo
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Tennis Sarasota
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As a certified Tennis Coach of more than 20 years, I have worked for large tennis clubs, Universities, Parks and Rec Departments, apartment complexes and coached High School. I have worked with close to 2 dozen Instructors roughly. This has given me the fortunate opportunity to observe how other tennis pros teach, behave and interact with students, clients and co-workers. I have seen firsthand what works and what doesn't work when it comes to being a successful coach. I share some of my insights below as to the characteristics I believe make a successful tennis coach. I hope you find it informative and helpful!
1. Passion
Does your instructor look like he enjoys what he is doing or is he just going through the motions? Is he engaging or does he look like he could audition as a cast member for The Walking Dead? An instructor that is passionate about what he is doing is more likely to give a better lesson than one who is not. As a result, you are more likely to learn and have fun during the lesson. A pro should show some enthusiasm and praise when you do something well. Passion is not something that can be taught but it can make the difference between a good lesson and a great lesson. Find a pro who has passion for tennis and helping others and you’ve found something special.
2. Tennis Teaching Experience
There is no substitute for teaching experience. It can take several years and dozens of students before a teaching pro learns how to properly analyze strokes and apply corrective techniques. It takes time to learn and identify the difference between the cause of a problem and the symptom of a problem. The certification certainly helps but the only way to really become a good tennis instructor is through experience. Ask your pro, how long he/she has been teaching as well as what level players he/she has taught (recreational, state ranked players, nationally ranked etc) and the age range of those taught. This should help to give you an idea of how much experience he/she has. The more, the better!
3. Tennis Credentials/Tennis Teaching Certifications
The two most widely recognized teaching certifications are the USPTA and USPTR certifications. If I had to choose between a pro that is certified and one who is not, I would choose the certified one every day of the week and twice on Sunday! Here is why. First, a pro who is certified has made a commitment to invest his/her time and energy into learning a significant amount of material and passing a test on that material. Certified pros are graded on several areas of tennis including, teaching a private lesson, teaching a group lesson, demonstrating proficient playing ability and passing an extensive written exam. The exam includes such topics as stroke analysis, proper grips, singles and doubles strategy, court surfaces, corrective techniques as well as several other areas. This is not to say that a pro who is not certified is not good. Not at all. However, going with a certified pro minimizes this risk. You would not choose a doctor, or a lawyer or a plumber that does not have some kind of license or credential, would you? The same applies here.
4. Tennis Playing Experience
A good coach should have some competitive playing experience generally either high school or college or both. This is important because they can identify with the types of situations you experience during a match and advise you accordingly. That being said, a pro does not need to have played professionally to be a good instructor. I have seen pros who were professionally ranked by the ATP but were not particularly good instructors. This is where communication skills, personality etc. come into play.
5. Communication Skills
Different people learn in different ways. Some people learn best by listening. Yet, others learn best visually. A good tennis instructor needs to explain ideas both verbally and visually. I can’t tell you how many times I have explained something to a student and it didn’t click but when I said essentially the same thing but in a slightly different way, guess what? It clicked! Everyone is unique and a pro should have the capacity to articulate ideas differently to different people so they can be easily understood.
6. Personality
A good teaching pro makes a lesson fun for his/her students. While learning is serious at times, it can also be fun! They are not mutually exclusive! If a pro has a good sense of humor, it makes the lesson more enjoyable. Laughter tends to relax people. When you are relaxed, it is easier to learn and retain information. In my experience, the most successful teaching pros all had great personalities.
7. Good Chemistry/Comfort Level
Last but not least is chemistry/comfort level. How comfortable do you feel around your tennis instructor? Does he/she treat you with respect? Now, keep in mind that when you are learning a new skill, there will be a certain level of discomfort. This is normal. You are branching out into something new. Anytime we learn something new, we tend to feel a bit self-conscious or even embarrassed at times. Part of the job of the teaching pro is to make you feel comfortable as much as possible. A good pro gives positive reinforcement when his/her student does something well and constructive criticism when he/she has difficulty with a shot. Good chemistry leads to good results!
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If you would like to know more about this topic or how can it be applied to your own game, you can get in contact with me or book a one on one On-court private coaching lesson here in Sarasota, I will be happy to help you achieve your Tennis Goals!
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