Private vs Group Tennis Lessons
You’re thinking about getting some tennis lessons for you or for your child but don’t know whether you should go for private or for group lessons (or maybe even both)?
Here is a quick comparison of private and group tennis lessons and you’ll find my recommendations for adults and juniors below the table:
| Private Lessons | Group Lessons |
| Full attention from the coach | Part attention from the coach |
| The drills are designed to your specific needs | The drills are designed for the general needs of the group |
| Lots or repetitions - faster improvement | Less repetitions and slower improvement |
| No distractions which results in better concentration and better learning | More distractions since there are more people around you |
| Can be boring for kids | More fun and enjoyment of tennis games (kids mostly) |
| Cost more | Cost less |
While adults typically work in private lessons very well, most children (8 to 14 years old) do not.
I have seen maybe 4 or 5 kids in 15 years of my tennis coaching career that were intensely internally motivated and were giving 100% effort in private lessons.
Most kids on the other hand like to have fun, play tennis with their friends with no special goal and just enjoy group activities.
Private tennis lessons become boring to them and they don’t feel that competitive excitement when they play against their coach.
That’s why I suggest that when you plan your training sessions for kids 8 to 14, try to combine group tennis lessons with private lessons.
Group lessons will satisfy your child’s needs for fun and socializing with peers with similar interests.
Private lessons can be more technically oriented and are focused more on improving tennis skills - technique, tactics, mental and fitness part of the game.
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