Could this year be the year you finally take the plunge - take lessons so that you, too, can deliver the powerful serves and snappy backhands you see in top tournaments?
Tennis is not just a competitive sport but also a very fun hobby that is played all over the world. Not many sports have the same sort of reach as tennis!
There's one question: how much does it cost to learn how to play tennis? As with many other ventures from leisure to academic, how much it costs depends on a whole host of factors.
Tennis lessons cost around £40 per hour in the UK. There are areas where this is slightly cheaper and ways to save money, but this is a rough average cost.
So, with this in mind, it is worth considering some of the factors that make an impact on the cost of tennis lessons:
- Your location: a private tennis coach London may charge anywhere from £20-60 per hour while private tennis lessons in Manchester top out at just under £40 per session.
- The type of lesson: group and family lessons' per-player cost may be as low as £15 per hour for a group of four, depending on your location; a private tennis coach will cost around £5 more for one-to-one lessons.
- The player's age: the average cost of tennis lessons for adolescents and adults is generally higher than for children under 10. Tennis lessons priced for kids 10 and under generally run about two-thirds of what 'full-price' lessons cost.
- The player's ability: for players who've mastered beginner tennis, private tennis lessons may cost more as the coach may teach advanced playing strategies, how to play doubles tennis and so on.
- The coach's certification level: a tennis coach with extensive training naturally charges more than a private tennis coach with a Level 2 certification.
Another factor to complicate finding out how much tennis lessons are, coaches often set their own rates. That means that, in any given area, you may have a few tennis coaches that charge hefty sums, usually because they have the reputation and a track record of success to justify them - but not always.
At the other end of the spectrum, you may find qualified, competent coaches who charge a fraction of what other coaches command but deliver quality lessons nonetheless.
With everything that goes into pricing tennis lessons cost, it's difficult to determine exactly how much any individual tennis hopeful can expect to pay on their way to achieving the level of tennis greatness they're aiming for. Perhaps the more efficient way to lay out the cost of tennis lessons is to list all the variables that go into setting those prices.
Superprof explores them now and offers up some ballpark pricing.
Private Tennis Lessons v Group Lessons
The first factor to consider is how you want your tennis lessons structured. Would you be happy to join a class to learn tennis basics or would private lessons work better for you?
If you are like so many other burgeoning athletes - a bit self-conscious at the outset, the second choice might appeal to you more. On the other hand, consider that you'll eventually need someone to volley the ball with. Bouncing it off a wall or returning balls shot out of a tennis machine will only get you so far.
Find out more detailed information about tennis lessons Glasgow here.
Besides, tennis is a social game. Unlike football and other team sports, tennis is played one-on-one or, at best, you might play doubles - two players on each side of the court. Thus, you will have to learn how to interpret your opponents' strategy and playing style, and gain insights into their motivation for the game.
Understanding all of that, taking group lessons would offer you a clear advantage because you would gain greater exposure to other tennis players.
A private coach can teach you all about the rules for playing and scoring, what a foot fault is and how you might qualify for a second serve because of let. They can help you position your body for optimal power in your swing and, for that matter, can teach you how to swing your racket for maximum effectiveness.
Unlike group lessons, whose focus is more on the mechanics of playing, individual lessons give you a fuller picture of the game: its rules and standards, as well as training your body to play.
If you were wondering how you could get into tennis, the type of lessons you want is the first variable to consider.
Private Tennis Lessons for Kids, Teens, Adults
The next question that needs answering is who the lessons are for.
Some tennis coaches particularly enjoy teaching children as young as four the rudiments of the game. They may have specially sized rackets for their young players and they make the lessons as fun and engaging as possible. For the youngest tennis players, lessons may only last 20 to 30 minutes, meaning that the price per lesson may be lower.
On the other hand, seeing as they have to have special skills to teach young children, they may charge a bit more.
The per-lesson cost generally increases the older the child-player gets. A coach would understandably command more for each session with, say, an eight-year-old than for one two years younger but, if the trainee is 10 or older, the fees would be a bit more.
Generally, the cost of tennis lessons for adolescents is about the same as for adult players and they last about as long; at least an hour, if not 90 minutes. They probably won't last any longer than that, though.
Some tennis coaches offer lessons to families. They generally cap the number of aspiring players to five or six family members and, for safety reasons, prefer that the youngest be at least four years old.
Such sessions are necessarily limited to teaching just the basics of tennis because Mum, Dad and older kids would have more stamina and focus than smaller children do, and a better ability to understand when the coach explains the basic rules of tennis.
The cost for family tennis lessons is generally higher than for individual or group lessons but, because the whole family will benefit, you're getting better value for your money than if you paid for individual lessons for every participating family member.
Find good tennis lessons London here on Superprof.
How Much Are Tennis Lessons for Special Needs Players?
The Grand Slam tournaments - the US, Australian and French Open tournaments, as well as Wimbledon, have made wheelchair tennis a part of their programme. Besides those events, such athletes compete in tournaments all over the world.
Of course, not every special needs tennis hopeful is wheelchair-bound; there are plenty of other conditions that make it more difficult for tennis enthusiasts to learn how to play the game they love.
That is why the Tennis Foundation has developed a programme of inclusive coaching that embraces aspiring players of all levels of ability. Tennis coaches who undergo their training course gain access to a host of coaching resources, including:
- Learning Disability tennis coaching factsheet
- Physical Disability tennis coaching factsheet
- Deaf tennis coaching factsheet
- Visually Impaired tennis coaching factsheet; they also offer a guide to Visually Impaired tennis
- Disability tennis coaching resource
- Tennis Wheelchair maintenance and setup guide
Besides these valuable resources, they also publish resources for tennis coaches in the UK to help them better work with people of all disabilities.
Admittedly, it might be a bit more difficult to find a tennis coach in your area who can help other-abled tennis players learn the game and, if such a coach is available, they might charge a bit more for their lessons.
If you're looking for tennis lessons for yourself or an other-abled person, you might shop around to see if there is any grant money or concessions to be had. After all, why should the benefits of tennis be limited to only the standard segment of the population?
Find good tennis lessons for kids near me here on Superprof.
Other Associated Costs
Unless you're simply looking to swat a tennis ball around, either on a public court or any random open space, you will have to pay for access to a tennis court. Often, as coaches partner with tennis clubs, you may be encouraged to become a member of such a facility.
Unsurprisingly, some of the highest tennis club memberships can be found in London, where you'll pay an average of £250 for a year's worth of being part of the club.
It is not uncommon to find memberships at around the £250 mark.
What did astound us is that Scotland club membership fees aren't too far behind; ringing in at around £230 per year. Elsewhere throughout the UK, memberships can be as low as £120 (in/around Newcastle); £160 is, however, closer to the national average.
If you're not yet certain that tennis is your game, you may decide to pay court rental fees or, as some clubs call them, guest fees. They range anywhere from £20 per hour to nearly triple that amount, depending on where you're at.
Unlike many sports, tennis doesn't require a lot of equipment. Still, even as a beginner tennis player, you need a few things: shoes, tennis balls and a racket and, ideally, some way to keep the sun out of your eyes and the sweat off your brow.
For your first few lessons, you may be able to wear your trainers or running shoes but you'll soon find that such run-of-the-mill footwear gives you little traction or stopping power as you dash from one end of the baseline to the next. You'll also discover how fast such shoes can wear out so, if you do plan to stick with tennis, it's a good idea to invest in a quality pair of shoes with an outsole guarantee.
You're likely to spend well over £100 for such a shoe but if you intend to stick with tennis - or even if you don't, knowing that these shoes have a six-month warranty against wearing out may make them worth the money anyway.
You may not need to buy a racket straightaway; often, coaches and/or tennis clubs have them to loan. If they don't, you might see if your local sporting goods store rents them out. A few quid a week shouldn't set you back too much, especially if it helps you decide whether tennis is your sport. That's when you can splash on a quality racket.
Tennis balls are another story. These days, more coaches and clubs expect their tennis learners to bring their own tennis balls. Fortunately, they are relatively inexpensive, especially if you order online.
Learn Tennis With Superprof
Of course, no matter where you live, you can take tennis lessons online. All you need are a decent webcam and a Superprof tennis coach who has tailored their brand of tennis instruction to remote delivery.
Find good tennis lessons near me here on Superprof. It seems counterintuitive that you could learn a sport from someone who might be miles away - in a different country, even, but judging by the success our Superprof tennis instructors have met and the rave reviews from their trainees, remote tennis obviously works.
Still, if you'd prefer a more 'present' Superprof tennis coach, there are hundreds of them scattered throughout the UK, ready for your call or message.
Now that you have all the variables that might impact the cost of your tennis lessons in front of you, you only need your beginner's guide to tennis lessons to get started.
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Good write up
Great idea keep the tourists busy and sweating it out one afternoon .