Tennis Lessons - Are you truly getting the most out of your time and money?

This month's article deals with lessons: if you are taking tennis lessons on either a frequent or infrequent basis, then this article should be of interest to you. We all know that lessons with certified teaching professionals cost money! Some tennis enthusiasts outside of the U.S.A. are paying an arm and a leg for court time as well. If you are spending a lot of money on lessons, then doesn't it make sense that you use every single minute of a lesson effectively?

Some professionals deserve the fees that they charge, while others do not and should perhaps be charged with "coaching fraud." On the "bad books," I've heard of a coach who was apparently charging a high performance player a 5-digit figure per year for his coaching services. Even worse, all this was done under the table, unbeknownst to the owners and club manager of the prominent tennis organization at which the coach was the head professional. The problem with this situation was that this player only came into town sporadically throughout the year, for a few days at a time, and sometimes missing entire months. Do you think that this player was being taken advantage of? In this specific case, I certainly don't think it was appropriate given the limited amount of coaching being provided for the fee. But I also believe that such coaching fees can be justified in specific coaching cases where the a coach work very intensively with a top player. In fact, I have coach friends who travel with a player(s) for almost an entire year charging such retainers.

On the "good books," here's one for the "love our sport" hall of fame. After speaking recently at a U.S.P.T.A. conference in Boston, I had the pleasure of meeting a very special gentleman. This outstanding citizen literally was paid the retainer of one single dollar bill for the entire year as the manager of a needy inner-city youth program. If you are a person who cares about tennis, youth, and the sport, why not volunteer your time? There are many inner-city programs around the world that would love to have a tennis professional volunteer their time and expertise! Making a child smile who has very little to smile about should be reward enough!

When a teacher teaches, when a doctor operates, when you drive a car, when you go to work, when a professor lectures: in all of these cases and more, there is actually preparation that has to be done in order to be successful. A good tennis professional comes on the court with a flexible lesson plan. From questions, constant observation, analysis, corrections, and progressions, he or she will alter the lesson plan so it suits the needs of the player. A smart student takes advantage of the knowledge of a certified tennis professional by being prepared to learn. Here are some areas that may help you get the most out of your lesson:

1. Tennis Lesson Objective - When you step on that court, do you have a pre-determined check list of tennis concerns, problems that you need your teaching professional to look at? It is a good idea to jot down a few ideas.

2. Communication - It Goes Both Ways! - Make sure that you are very clear in your choice of words in communicating your concerns and expectations to the professional. If you don't think a pro is adequately addressing the skill area you want to focus on, then you have to take the responsibility of telling him or her what needs to be altered so that your needs will be addressed.

3. Get Your Heart Rate Up! - Elevate the heart rate so that internal heat is created and in turn warms up the various muscle bodies. Perspiration occurs in order to cool off the body by releasing warm water, etc. A good, quick way to get the heart rate going is to take a light run, skip, or ride a stationary bicycle for a few minutes. Then you should gradually work into hitting full speed on the court. The beginning of a lesson should always include a short period where a progression from mini-tennis to full court is done. A proper on-court warm-up allows a person to fine tune rhythm and timing as well as ready the muscles, ligaments, and tendons for ball impact.

4. Emotional Balance - Is your professional spending more time "cooling you off" than fixing your poor biomechanical linkages? Is he or she actually teaching you what needs to be taught? If your emotions are out of control, it is very likely that some professionals will avoid saying certain needed statements. If a pro feels that you are too stressed and emotionally unstable, then there is a chance that constructive criticisms may not be stated so as to avoid possible misperceptions. Try to "think like a pro," which means that you should always be striving to improve your emotional control. When a pro is teaching you, they are always in emotional control and are constantly attempting to analyze and correct. Just imagine if a pro was allowed to lose emotional control each time you made a mistake. Yikes, that'd be an experience! If you need help in learning how to find a good professional, then I suggest going into my columns archives section for advice.

5. Are You Improving? - If your specific stroke with specific context such as "topspin forehand from baseline/ when receiving a sitting ball/ projection intention of driving that ball with power into the deuce side of the court," is not better after a dozen or so lessons, then look elsewhere! You have to be honest with yourself and know that this specific shot, in this specific context, is a realistic shot to learn at your level. If this is the case, and your shot is still not improving, then your pro may be the problem. It is a deadly mistake to think that your coach knows it all! It is even more drastic if your coach also thinks this way!! A good professional is willing to admit that they do not know it all. After all, the only constant in life is change! Tennis is continually evolving and mutating so that we, as professional coaches, need to continue learning and growing.

6. Ask The Question "Why?" - A good professional always explains why a correction is done. If they do not, then get into the habit of asking, "Why?" Ask the simple question why you need to perform an action "this way" or "what is the benefit of this action." A good professional who is certified will answer with a proper explanation! A professional that does not bother to further educate himself or herself will try to answer this question defensively, "Don't you know that I played on the professional tour?" Then print out this article and show them number 4.

7. Do You Have The Guts To Ask Your Professional This Question? - When was the last time your coach attended a coaching conference or improved their coaching certification level? I realize that teaching professionals earn their living on the court and many are truly busy! I do, however, wonder if they are being truthful to themselves, their students and to our profession. There is absolutely no excuse why your coach has not attended a "continuing education course." Many organizations like the U.S.P.T.R. and the U.S.P.T.A. have specific courses designed to encourage coaches' "continued improvement." Most respected professions make continuing education mandatory. Next time you see your doctor, ask them the same question!

8. Coaches, Be Aware! - If you are a teaching professional, I suggest that you pay careful attention to how your players warm-up on and off the court. Are you guilty of using the player's warm-up time to relax, make phone calls, or sit down? If so, than you may not be giving your student all that they deserve. This is a perfect time to instill good habits. From the moment a student comes on the court, we should immediately put on our coaching hat. We can really use the on-court warm-up to help condition good qualities in strokes, concentration, and much more. Just be creative and use every minute to "go forward." If you find that the quality of on-court warm-up is poor due to incorrect mental or physical intensity, try saying this: "Would I warm-up Agassi or Sampras before a match hitting like this?" The answer will be "no," of course. Think about what you would do differently and you will find that the quality of the warm-up will improve!

Thanks for all the letters, e-mails and faxes from coaches around the world. Keep 'em coming! If you would like to ask me any questions, please feel free to drop me a line at reggie@tennisserver.com. I will be more than happy to respond! It means a very great deal to me to know that you are continually visiting our website.

Make an impact and remember, make it fun!

Best regards,

Reggie

P.S. It was great to have the opportunity recently to speak once again for Tennis Canada at their International Coaches Conference, in Toronto! It was very special for me to see so many familiar faces in the crowd. Hi to all my family, friends, and students who attended the conference. I value so much your support. Thank you for taking the time to give back to me with your smiles and laughter! I would also like to thank Ari Novick and Robert Bettauer of T.C., Gary Caron, president of the Canadian Tennis Teaching Professional Organization, and the staff of the Granite Club for hosting the event.

I would also like to say "hola y muchas gracias por preocuparse por tenis para los ninos" to the many coaches in Mexico and Argentina who have sent me e-mail and faxes supporting my book. It is wonderful to know that coaches around the world are truly interested in educating and properly teaching kids our sport!

This column is copyright 1998 by Reggie Vasquez Jr., all rights reserved.

Reggie Vasquez Jr. is one of Canada's leading tennis coaches for juniors. He is actively involved with Tennis Canada's grassroots player development. A frequent and enthusiastic speaker at tennis conferences, he is certified by the U.S.P.T.A., Tennis Canada and the U.S.P.T.R.. For almost 7 years he was a head coach for the Canadian Davis cup Captain's Academy at the Canada's National Tennis Center. He has been a Tennis Canada - National Youth Tennis Center Leader for over 8 years and is presently a head coach of an Elite Tennis Academy. He has experience working with juniors from the absolute beginner to the international caliber tennis player. Reggie is also a published author on junior tennis. His personal web site has additional information on his book, the Kids' Book of Tennis. The Kids' Book of Tennis can be ordered directly at a discount using this link to the Amazon.com online bookstore.

Questions and comments about these columns can be directed to Reggie by electronic mail at reggie@tennisserver.com.