· By Daniel Reyes, Head Coach
The Right Coach Beats the Right Racket
Players obsess over frames and strings, then choose a coach by whoever has a free slot on Tuesday. After twenty years of teaching, I can tell you the coach matters ten times more. Here are the five questions our team suggests every player ask before committing.
1. Are They Certified — and Still Learning?
Certification is the floor, not the ceiling. Ask what courses your coach took in the last two years. The game evolves — grips, return positions, junior development science — and a coach who stopped learning in 2010 teaches 2010 tennis.
2. Who Else Is in the Group?
Progress depends on hitting partners as much as instruction. A good club caps groups at six, matches levels honestly, and moves players up mid-term instead of waiting for September.
3. What Does Progress Look Like?
Vague promises mean vague results. Expect specifics: a written review every month, two or three measurable targets (first-serve percentage, rally length, footwork patterns), and video checkpoints you can see yourself.
4. Do You Enjoy Their Sessions?
Tennis improvement takes months, and motivation is fuel. The best technical coach in town is the wrong coach if you dread the drive over. Trial sessions exist for exactly this reason — use them.
5. Do They Play Matches Too?
Coaches who compete — even in humble club ladders — teach the mental side from experience: routines between points, handling nerves, adjusting tactics mid-match. Ask about their last tournament, not just their trophies.
At Ashgrove, every new player starts with a free 20-minute assessment rally, so placement is based on your actual game — never on a form you filled in.
