Ballpark Estimate: $20 to $100 an hour for private instruction
Ready “fore” a game of tennis? If you want to really be on the ball, it’s a good idea to consider signing up for tennis lessons, either for yourself or for your child. Whether you want to take a tennis class to sharpen your skills and enjoy some healthy competition with other players, or you prefer to improve your game one-on-one with the attention of a seasoned professional, you’re sure to find adult or kids’ tennis lessons that will help you to achieve your goal.
Tennis Is for All Ages
Tennis is a universal sport that appeals to people of all ages. You may want to take tennis lessons yourself to boost your activity level and give yourself an enjoyable outdoor activity, or keep yourself moving on an indoor court even when the weather isn’t cooperating. Tennis can also be a good choice to explore for children. In fact, many parents enroll their youngsters in tennis lessons, appreciating the fact that this is an activity that their child may continue to enjoy for years to come. You can start a young child in a group tennis lesson once he or she is enough to hold the racquet properly and follow directions (usually around school-age), or can sign up an older child who has good eye-hand coordination in a semi-private group or private tennis lesson in order to master the skills and get a dose of healthy competition.
Tennis Anyone?
If you have your heart set on learning to play a mean round of tennis or give your child a good introduction to the game, you may be tempted to invest in private tennis lessons from a high-priced teaching tennis professional. While this can be a good strategy, just keep in mind that you’ll want to find a tennis instructor who has strong teaching skills, not just strong playing ability.
It’s also important to keep realistic goals for your adult or kids’ tennis lessons. Remember that tennis can be a challenging sport for kids’ and adults to master, with many layers of progression to take the game to the next level. Therefore, no matter how good your tennis coach is, he or she won’t be able to turn a beginner into a professional tennis player overnight. Much hard work, practice and natural ability is needed.
Private Or Group Tennis Lessons?
When searching for adult and kids’ tennis lessons, you’ll need to decide whether you’d enjoy taking a semi-private, group or private tennis sessions. What to expect from each option can be completely different, both in terms of tennis lesson prices and what you will get in return for the investment.
Semi-Private Tennis Lessons
If you want good results but also need reasonable tennis lesson prices, you may want to hire a tennis instructor and pull together 3 or 4 of your friends, family members or acquaintances so you can spend some bonding time while you get some exercise and hone your tennis knowledge and skills. This can also be cost effective, since the overall tennis lesson price will be divided among all of the group members. Of course most tennis instructors will charge a higher lesson rate for multiple students, but when you break it down the cost per person is still less than that of private tennis lessons.
Group Tennis Lessons
Another option is to join an established tennis class, which can have anywhere from a few students up to as many as a dozen or more. While this can be the most economical method when it comes to tennis lesson prices, with a larger group you’ll encounter people with a wide range of ability levels, so the class may not progress at the perfect pace for your tennis skills and strengths. Beyond this drawback, though, if you find the right group setting, you may develop a healthy competition with one or more of the other tennis players that appeals to your senses and helps you to develop as a tennis player.
Private Tennis Lessons
If developing serious tennis skills is your goal, nothing will beat taking private tennis lessons. While this is the most expensive in terms of tennis lesson prices, the benefits of private tennis lessons can make the cost well worth it. Private tennis lessons allow you to make the most of the lesson slot, since there isn’t any downtime involved. You’ll also get one-on-one time with the coach to address your specific game weaknesses and ensure that you’ll learn proper technique and form right from the beginning.
Location Matters
When it comes to selecting tennis lessons, in addition to the size of the tennis class and experience of the teacher, you’ll also need to consider the location, which can greatly impact the tennis lesson cost. Many towns have municiple courts that are available for resident’s usage at no charge. Some high schools also have tennis courts that may be accessible to residents during off hours. In addition, you can find tennis courts at local YMCAs, health clubs and some private golf courses and country clubs. In these cases, the courts may be restricted to use by members only, or may be available for general use in exchange for a fee. Some clubs also have indoor tennis courts, so you can continue your lessons year-round, regardless of the weather. Just keep in mind that playing tennis indoors is usually more expensive.
How to Find
When shopping for tennis lessons, a good place to start is by contacting any local tennis clubs to find out what they offer in the way of lessons. Public tennis groups will likely have a range of options that will fit with your needs and budget. You can also check with your municiple department or local parks department to find out if your city or town offers any summer tennis lessons. Your local YMCA can be another good choice, since they may have tennis lessons for people of different ages and skill levels. In addition, the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) offers a certification program for teaching professionals. You can use their member directory available through the USPTA website to locate qualified tennis teachers in your area. You can also check with the United States Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) to find a certified tennis coach or teaching professional. Finally, you can visit Tennis.com and go to the travel section to find a list of tennis clinics and camps worth exploring.
Cost for Tennis Lessons
What you can expect to spend on tennis lessons depends on where you live and what type of expertise and attention you will get from your tennis professional.
Here are some general cost scenarios to consider:
- If you want to take private adult and kids’ tennis lessons from a well-qualified teacher, you can expect the tennis lesson cost to range from $20 to $100 an hour. On the low end, the lessons will likely be on a public tennis court, while on high end, your tennis lessons may be held at a well-kept private club or more scenic resort setting, or on an indoor tennis court.
- For semi-private adult and kids’ tennis lessons (3 to 4 in a group), the tennis lesson cost per student can be between $10 and $50 an hour.
- For group adult and kids’ tennis lessons, this can be anywhere from free introductory lessons offered at some public parks on up to $35 for an hour.
- So you can take a large group tennis lesson for free or spend up to $100for a private hour-long lesson from a highly-qualified teaching professsional. Many people spend somewhere in the middle of these two extremes.
Other Considerations
The cost for indoor tennis court rental can range from $20 to $50 an hour. Make sure to find out if this price is included in your tennis lesson costs. Also ask if tennis balls are included or if you will need to bring your own. Tennis balls cost about $1 to $2 for a basic ball and are usually sold in sleeves of 3 tennis balls or more. You’ll also need your own tennis racquet. You can find one apropriate for a beginner at your local sportings good store for between $25 to $100.
Final Note
When registering for tennis lessons, make sure to find out any age requirements up front, since some tennis classes will be geared to children, while others may be more appropriate for adult students. Many tennis professionals prefer to organize their teaching in such a way for specific age groups and/or ability levels in order to be sure all of the participants will get the most out of the experience.