5 tips for choosing your tennis coach

If you want to progress in tennis quickly, evolve on the court and listen to someone more experienced than you, I’m going to offer you 5 tips for choosing your tennis coach ! I’m sure tennis coaches will link to this article. Know that I will say what I think, and if I forget something or if you simply disagree with me, leave me a comment at the end of this article. This will allow us to improve and provide more information to choose your tennis coach.

Choose your tennis coach according to your diploma

Any tennis player can be a teacher and send a message to help you progress. No matter what level. But we are in France and there is a state diploma for tennis coaches which is, moreover, very protected in clubs as well as on the internet. You must choose a qualified tennis coach and not an initiator or a tennis player stronger than you who will help you in your tennis for a fee! And this for three reasons:

• They’ll just be doing it illegally and risking trouble before the law, and I think you will too.
• They often represent unfair competition vis-à-vis other coaches because they will offer you reduced rates.
• They will certainly advance you but will not allow you to reach your full potential because they lack the eye and experience of the teacher. In fact, it will make you evolve and you will accumulate gaps that you will no longer be able to modify later.
• Regarding tennis coaches on the internet, be aware that a non-qualified person can offer tennis advice on the internet, but they will not be able to offer you a face-to-face tennis course.

Choose your tennis coach according to the players he is currently training

Talk to your coach and try to find out which are the best players he trains. This can give you an idea of ​​the experience of your tennis coach. You can also know its limit. If the best players he coaches are rated 30 or 15/5, it means you are in a small club where he doesn’t have the experience to coach much harder. Look for tennis coaches who coach players classified second series to be sure that they will not only give you good advice but also their experience as a player.

Also ask him what results his students have, if they are performing in tournaments, what ranking they have, if they are progressing quickly. All this information is important for choosing a tennis coach correctly.

Choose your tennis coach according to his ability to communicate

Does he offer you advice off the court or does he monetize everything he says

Does he tell you things about the news, about the members of the club – is he sociable?

You must favor a dynamic tennis coach who can boost you, who has energy, who does not count his hours, who is always present at the club even when he is not working, who remains to discuss with his students at the end of training. Choose a passionate tennis coach who will pass on this passion for tennis to you.

Choose your tennis coach according to his involvement in your tennis

Try to pay attention to these points which are very important:

• Does your coach travel for free from time to time to come see you play in tournaments?
• Does he find you training partners for free?
• Does he help you with your tennis without charging you?

This is the best trick to realize if your tennis coach considers you a client or a student! If your coach never asks you for your results, if he’s not interested in you, something’s wrong, and you won’t be able to build trust with someone who ignores you.

Choose your tennis coach according to your level: especially not!

Being a very good tennis player does not mean being a very good teacher. Of course, your tennis coach has experience, but does he still have to pass it on to you? And that’s the mistake you can make when choosing your tennis coach. Especially if you’re in a big club with several coaches, don’t stop at the strongest. Go and explore what other coaches are doing.

Take, for example, the case of Patrick Moratoglou who was one of the best French players between the ages of 11 and 16 but who never turned pro. He did, however, train Aravane Rezai, Grigor Dimitrov, Jeremy Chardy and Marcos Baghdatis. And of course, Serena Williams.

Here is a list that coaches must follow:

• You are coming out of a private lesson and you need to know exactly what you have been working on.
• Your coach should talk to you regularly.
• Your coach must come to see you from time to time in tournament (if his schedule allows it).
• Your coach should regularly find you new training partners.
• Your coach must train all levels from NC to Second Series.
• Your coach must be sociable.
• Your coach must be a pedagogue.
• Your coach should insist on the problems you are having on the court.
• Your coach must listen and ask you – sometimes – what you want to work on.
• Your coach should give you compliments and show you that you are progressing.
• Your coach must make you progress.