1. THE HITTING TEACHER - This is the teacher that just takes you out and has you hit balls. His big goal is to get you consistent enough so that he can hit with you. Most of these players are baseliners. They keep the lesson moving at an accelerated pace, they don't miss shots and usually were collegiate players.
Pros - These teachers can sharpen up your consistency and footwork. The sense of accomplishment after hitting with a pro like that makes you feel like a really high level player. You will get to hit plenty of balls in the lessons without much talking.
Cons - The hitting teacher might be so concerned with keeping the balls in play that they do not see what you are doing wrong. So if you ask them questions, you might get a really generic answer like "follow through on the shot." If you are looking for reasons why you lose mentally, they might not be able to go there with you.
The best time to come to them is after you learn a solid foundation and technique in singles and in group sessions.
2. THE FEEDER TEACHER - They stand close to the net and feed balls, making comments as they are feeding. You don't have much time to think. You just have to DO. They are VERY demanding and after the lesson you are COMPLETELY spent.
Pros - These teachers are good at finding another level in your hitting ability. Their drill sergeant style lifts you up and pushes you beyond the skills you never thought possible. They are great for hand/eye coordination.
Cons - Once you learn all the techniques, that's pretty much all their is to it. Many times the teacher can hurt your feelings with their sharp comments. Once they get in the groove of feeding balls, they might start to mechanize and you will not get a chance to think about what they said. Sometimes their drills have your brain moving fast and it is hard to slow it down for matches.
The best time to come to them is the very beginning of your tennis life and group sessions.
3. THE TECHNIQUE/STRATEGY TEACHER - This teacher knows how to do everything with a racket and wants to teach you. They see EVERYTHING and know exactly why you might have a problem. They have a great deal of tennis smarts and keep up with the latest techniques.
Pros - You come out of the lesson more knowledgeable. You learn the skills and why they are important. They seem to be interested in you as a person and try to treat you as an individual.
Cons - They are very talkative. Most are aware and some cannot help it. If you pay for an hour, you might have to keep them on task as they might lose track of the time or start talking too long. In addition, these teachers can also hit with you but only up to a certain level. They are bound to make more mistakes than the hitting teacher.
The best time to come to them is once you are ready to level up your mental game and strokes or MUCH later when all you need is game plan advice.
I'm not saying that any of these teachers cannot do the other's job. As certified professionals they all have proven their skills in a variety of areas. But once you get the teacher in their element, you have just maximized your type of lesson.
Next....the collegiate teacher vs the recreational teacher.
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