Qualities of a Good Tennis Instructor

What qualities should you look for when seeking someone to guide you down the path of tennis brilliance or even just provide a solid introduction to the game? Do you seek out someone who is or has been ranked highly by the USTA in their division, holds a NTRP rating of 5.0 or higher, played college tennis for a well-known university, or held a short stint on the pro satellite tour?

I think the answer to this is not necessarily an easy one. The right person for you totally depends on your goals. Since most (but not all) of my experience in tennis instruction has been with youth, I will take that path. However, keep in mind that the principles used with kids can and should be easy to apply when teaching adults. My belief, from experience as a school teacher to kids in a classroom and facilitator of professional development to adult teachers, is that it’s easier to add complexity in education than it is to thin it down. Think about writing a research paper that you had to limit to X number of pages. Then remember how much more information you generated than needed. Trimming the fat required a lot more effort than simply adding more content for more pages. 

The elements of a good tennis instructor are not rocket science, and the qualities we will discuss are the same we would hope to see as a part of most people’s personalities. But we are not depending on most people to inspire the love of a lifetime activity in the lives of our children, and with any luck, in the lives of their parents as well. This person you choose may also be the mentor you need as an adult to drive your game to the next level. So what are we looking for? I’ve identified 5 characteristics that are somewhat ideal to seek in an instructor. 

The first thing to expect of a teacher is Advocacy. A tennis teacher should be a total advocate for the game. I cannot imagine trying to teach someone this challenging sport without absolute belief that I am serving them well in the process. Having genuine enthusiasm and excitement for what one can bring to a student is easy to spot. They get to mold, sometimes like raw clay, a person’s tennis game both physically and mentally. And when a child, or even new adult tennis player is the malleable material, then wonderful things can take shape before your eyes. If your instructor is not passionate about being out there on the court, how can you possibly be motivated yourself? I know personally that I feel special when I walk through those gates, and I know I’ve been given a gift I want to share with others.

But with great power comes great responsibility. Having incredible enthusiasm doesn’t mean a thing if the instructor does not have a solid mental database of all things tennis. The idea is to not teach bad habits since players gain them on their own quite easily, thank you. Therefore, Knowledge of things like grips and how they affect the strokes, spins, efficient movement and footwork, basic strategies, and successful tactics, and perhaps even some background on rackets, strings, tennis balls, exercise, and nutrition are helpful. But let me be clear on how a person gains this knowledge. One can seek professional training and certification testing by organizations such as the PTR or USPTA. But a piece of paper is still just a piece of paper. A teacher can and should be a student of the game through continual and intense independent study of books, websites, video training, workshops and the viewing and analysis of professional and non-professional matches. In other words, the proof is in what they do and not in what credentials or awards they show. 

I would consider this next point to be almost the keystone to good instruction: Patience. New adult players, older returning players, young teens and even little kids with 19-inch rackets need someone with the understanding of a teddy bear to make them feel comfortable through use of positive reinforcement and carefully-measured critical response. Here is where the social skill of empathy plays a huge role. Talented and gifted tennis players, who make things look very easy, do not necessarily make the best teachers. My belief is that a teacher who came by their skills through blood, sweat and tears can better identify with those just learning the game. Instructors need realize how easily their charges can lose confidence in themselves from one miss after another. When a student understands that we’ve all been there before, then some of the self-pressure is removed and the relaxation that results makes for much better tennis strokes. 

Communication Skills would be the next quality to listen and watch for keeping in mind that all communication is not verbal. Instructional terminology should be easy to understand, demos of stroke production duplicatable, and multiple learning styles taken into account. For example, where one person can learn by verbal instruction, another needs step-by-step visual guidance by modeling of each movement. There is nothing wrong with the use of proper tennis verbiage as long as the cryptic language is not a barrier to understanding. Using real-life examples are helpful in helping make connections. Even a complex set of instructions can be broken down into a progression of easily described achievable goals. My favorite teaching expression is, “inch by inch is a cinch, yard by yard is hard.” An additional part of communication is the ability to be entertaining in some way. While it might not be necessary to juggle rackets and tennis balls in the air, it doesn’t hurt for one to be light-hearted on the court. A quick turn of phrase, clever whit, and/or puns or colorful metaphors can break up the seriousness and engage the student as they smile their way to better tennis.

Last but not least on our platter of good tennis instructor characteristics is Adaptability. Each student brings their own individual strengths and weaknesses to the game. Their body moves in their own very unique way. Instead of attempting to create a teacher clone, or have them imitate smaller muscle-group movements they see from the pros, a smart and savvy instructor will have a good enough eye that identifies natural tendencies that can be nurtured in one’s game. Sometimes all it takes is a minor adjustment to make all the difference. In other words, it is not always necessary to reinvent the wheel with each student. Good teaching relies on a solid foundation of principles and not techniques. Strokes can go awry during a match, but knowledge of the underlying principles can bring one back on target. And since each player moves a bit differently, especially at the beginning stages, principles are the solid foundation to build upon. 

Let me be clear on one very crucial point: knowing how to play, and knowing how to teach, are two totally different things. I’m fortunate that my background is partly in education. Teachers learn the elements of a good lesson, and regardless of whether the content is language arts, math, science or tennis, these elements are generally the same. Lessons should begin with an clearly defined objective as to what is meant to be accomplished in that lesson. Secondly, there should be a clear and polished methodology that comes from an obvious amount of preparation. Part of this simply comes from the experience of teaching similar lessons with previous students. A third keystone of good education is ongoing assessment during the lesson which helps the instructor, and student, check the progress against the objective. Last but not least, there should be a review of what was learned during your session and perhaps even some discussion about what to look forward to in the next lesson.

This is really only a short overview as there are no doubt many other things that help identify a good instructor. But in every case, the individual needs of the student should drive the selection process. The more you know about what you seek, the better choice you can make. If you are proactive in identifying your needs, the decision will be a much easier one indeed.

Ron Miller is a PTR certified tennis instructor who teaches group and private lessons for kids and adults through Gloucester Twp. Recreation in the SJ area. His website and podcast provide free instructional content for beginners to advanced players.