Privates, Squads, or Both? Where Your Lesson Dollar Goes
Quick answer
Private lessons are best for fixing technique and giving focused attention. Group sessions and squads are best for live ball, competition, and match reps you cannot get one-on-one. The right answer for most serious players is both: privates to build the stroke, group play and matches to build the competitor who can use it.
On this page
What private lessons do well
A private lesson is focused attention on your specific game. It is the best setting to rebuild a stroke, fix a technical fault, or work on something you keep getting wrong, because the coach can feed exactly the ball you need and correct every rep. The downside is cost and that it is cooperative, not competitive.
What group play does that privates cannot
Group sessions and squads give you live, unpredictable balls, movement, and the social pressure of playing against others. That is where technique becomes a usable skill. A player who only takes privates often looks great in the lesson and falls apart in matches, the exact gap we cover in strokes that fall apart in matches.
How to split your budget
- Use privates to fix a specific technical issue, then stop paying for what you have grooved.
- Use group play and match play for live reps, competition, and conditioning.
- Add match video review to connect the two, so lesson gains show up in real points.
Between sessions, structured practice and feedback are what make either format pay off, which is why a remote coaching loop and good parent support multiply the value of every lesson dollar.
The short version
Privates build the player, group play builds the competitor. Use privates to fix technique, group and match play for live reps, and review to connect them.
Frequently asked
Are private or group tennis lessons better?
They do different jobs. Private lessons are best for focused technical work. Group sessions and squads give live ball, competition, and match reps. Most serious players use both.
How often should my child take private lessons?
Enough to fix and groove specific technical issues, then lean on group and match play for live reps. Constant privates without competitive play often produce a player who looks great in lessons but struggles in matches.
How do I get the most from lesson money?
Use privates for technique, group and match play for competition and fitness, and add structured between-lesson practice and video review so the gains transfer to real matches.
Sources and further reading
Written by
Bolor Enkhbayar
Tennis coach and founder of CoachesNote
Bolor coaches serious juniors and adult competitors. She builds every weekly plan, reviews the video and match notes, and decides the next job, in person and remotely through CoachesNote.
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