How to Make the Most Out of Your Private Lesson

Whether you’re stepping onto the tennis court, pickleball court, or padel court, private lessons are one of the best ways to improve your game. They offer personalized attention, tailored instruction, and the opportunity to focus on the parts of your game that matter most to you. But like anything else, you tend to get out what you put in. A little preparation and communication can go a long way toward making each lesson more productive, enjoyable, and rewarding.

Start With a Goal

Before your lesson even begins, take a moment to think about why you booked it in the first place. In general, most players fall into one or more of these categories:

• Technical improvement

• Tactical or strategic improvement

• Fitness, movement or general workout goals

• Simply having fun and playing points

There’s no right or wrong answer. Some days, you may want to groove your serve mechanics. Other days, you may want to work through doubles positioning, improve your movement, or just enjoy live-ball competition with a coach feeding and playing points.

The key is clarity. If you can identify one or two primary goals and communicate them to your teaching professional ahead of time, the lesson becomes far more intentional. Instead of spending the first 15 minutes figuring out direction, your pro can arrive with a plan and maximize the time you have together.

For example:

• “I’m struggling with consistency on my backhand return.”

• “I want to feel more confident transitioning to the kitchen in pickleball.”

• “I’d like to work on point construction in padel.”

• “I mostly just want a high-energy workout and live-ball session today.”

That type of communication helps your pro tailor the lesson specifically to your needs. If possible communicate before you even arrive to the facility! Send an email or text to your coach the night before or morning of the lesson.

Arrive Early and Ready to Go 

One of the easiest ways to improve the value of your lesson is also one of the simplest: show up on time and warm up beforehand if possible.

Most teaching professionals move directly from one lesson, clinic, or event into another. If the first 10 minutes of your lesson are spent stretching, chatting, or slowly easing into hitting, that’s valuable instructional time that disappears quickly.

If your facility allows it, try to:

• Stretch beforehand

• Use the fitness center or warm up dynamically

• Hit on an open court

• Get hydrated and mentally prepared

Even a quick five-minute warm-up can make a difference. You’ll move better, feel looser, and allow your coach to jump right into meaningful instruction.

Ask Questions

One of the biggest missed opportunities in private lessons is players staying too quiet.

There is absolutely no such thing as a bad question. In fact, the more questions you ask, the more your coach learns about how you think, compete, and process information.

Don’t be afraid to speak up with situational examples:

• “Why do I keep missing this volley in matches but not in practice?”

• “What should I be looking for when returning serve?”

• “Why do I feel rushed at the net?”

• “How should I adjust against players who hit with heavy topspin?”

These examples are incredibly valuable because they provide context. A great teaching professional doesn’t just fix strokes; they solve problems. The more detail you provide about where you’re struggling, the more effectively the lesson can be adapted and structured around real match situations.

Be Open to Feedback

Sometimes improvement requires stepping outside your comfort zone. Maybe it’s changing your grip slightly, adjusting court positioning, or trying a new tactical pattern that initially feels unfamiliar.

Trust the process and give yourself permission to struggle a little. Growth in racquet sports is rarely perfectly linear. Some changes feel awkward before they become natural.

The best students are often the ones who stay curious, engaged, and patient.

Practice Between Lessons

Private lessons are most effective when they become part of a larger routine, not a one-time fix.

Even 15–20 minutes of focused practice between lessons can reinforce what you learned and accelerate progress. That could mean:

• Shadow swings at home

• Practicing serves or dinks

• Watching professional matches with intention

• Playing practice sets while focusing on a specific theme

The more repetitions you get between lessons, the more productive your next session becomes.

Enjoy the Process

At the end of the day, racquet sports are supposed to be fun. Improvement matters, but so does enjoying the experience, building confidence, and spending time on court.

The best private lessons usually combine learning, energy, challenge, and enjoyment all in one session. Communicate openly, arrive prepared, stay engaged, and trust your teaching professional to guide the process.

You’ll be surprised how much progress can happen when both player and coach are working toward the same goal.