Tennis professionals aren’t just great players, but great teachers as well. They must fully understand the fundamentals and techniques involved, but also be able to transfer those skills through demonstration and instruction. Just as every member is at a different stage in their tennis journey, so are the tennis pros. Each tennis pro has unique personality traits, specialties, certifications, etc. The next time you are choosing a tennis pro, take the following questions into consideration.

Ask Yourself These Questions When Choosing a Tennis Pro

1. What qualities must your ideal coach have?
2. Does your coach have the qualities you require to thrive? For example, are they optimistic? Are they honest? Do they have good humor? Are they positive?
3. What certifications does he/she hold?
4. Does your coach possess the knowledge and experience to push you to improve? How were these skills acquired? Through experience playing, experience coaching, or workshops/courses?
5. Does your coach possess the critical thinking skills to be able to see objectives, make decisions regarding training needs, and help you set goals?
6. Is your coach aware of how you or your kids learn? Is he/she capable of adjusting lesson plans and teaching methods to create an environment in which you will thrive? How well can your coach elicit change through personalized training to get you to reproduce what is being said?

Most Important Quality for Choosing a Tennis Pro

My favorite quality in a coach is honesty. This takes priority for me because it is a quality that is necessary to elicit growth and improvement throughout all stages of a player’s journey, despite his/her current playing level. Players must know what they are doing correctly, what they are doing incorrectly, and what needs to be done to strengthen their weaknesses. It is also important to remember that a coach will always be more than a coach. Players must learn from a very young age that to be a good tennis player, you must first be a good person.

A major aspect of my coaching style is to create a connection with my clients. I need to fully understand who the person is to have a better understanding of how to coach them. For example, upon meeting new clients, within the first few drills it is clear which players require soft encouragement and which players require a higher level of intensity to excel. Every coach needs to remember they are an example to everyone they meet.

Tennis is booming right now! Whether you’re just starting out or looking to get back into playing, check out our adult and youth tennis programs at Lakeshore Sport & Fitness.

Written by Emir Hamzic, Tennis Pro at Lakeshore Sport & Fitness-Lincoln Park