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POOM'STennis Academy

Private lessons · October 31, 2026 · 3 min read

By Poom, head coach at Poom's Tennis Academy

Are private tennis lessons worth it? A coach's answer

Worth

it depends

At $125 an hour, the honest answer has to be more interesting than yes. It depends on when you use them and what you use them for.

Quick answer

Private tennis lessons are worth it for beginners building habits, for fixing one stuck problem, and for preparing for a specific event. They are not the best spend once you can rally and mostly need court time: one private a week plus a group or liveball session is the mix that improves players fastest.

Private tennis lessons are the most expensive hour in recreational sport, so the question is fair. Are they worth it? As a coach, the honest answer is that they are worth a lot for some things and a waste of money for others. Here is the split.

What a private actually buys

A private buys undivided attention: every ball hit for you, every correction about your game, and a plan that changes when something clicks. The hour is worth the most when there is something specific to fix, and worth the least when you mostly need court time, opponents and reps.

For a fuller picture, see what actually happens in an hour of private lessons.

Worth it or not, situation by situation

  • If you have never had a lesson

    Worth it

    First habits are cheap to build and expensive to fix later.

  • If one stroke keeps losing you matches

    Worth it

    A specific problem is exactly what privates are for.

  • If you can rally and want more play

    Skip it

    Groups and liveball give you reps at a third of the price.

  • If a league or tryout is coming

    Worth it

    A target gives the hour direction and the plan teeth.

  • If you want three lessons a week

    Rethink it

    One private plus practice beats three back to back.

  • If a coach wants a package first

    Be careful

    Pay per session until the fit is proven.

When privates are clearly worth it

  • Starting out: habits formed in the first hours are cheap to build and expensive to fix.
  • A stuck problem: a serve that collapses in matches, a backhand you run around.
  • Preparing for something: a league season, a school team tryout, a family tournament.
  • Coming back after years away, when a few focused sessions restart the whole game.
  • Anyone whose schedule makes fixed class times impossible.

When they are not

  • You can already rally and just want to play more. Groups and liveball do that for a third of the price.
  • Multiple lessons a week from day one. One good private plus practice beats three back to back.
  • Buying packages before a first session, before you know whether the coach fits.
The hour is worth the most when there is something specific to fix, and worth the least when you mostly need reps.
Poom, head coach

The mix that works for most players

One private a week plus one group or liveball session is the pattern that shows up again and again among improving adults. The private fixes and sharpens; the group session puts it under pressure against real opponents. Budget-wise that is $125 plus $40 to $50 a week, which is less than many people spend on a single dinner out and moves a game faster than anything else at this level.

Judging your own lessons

A private is doing its job when you leave each session knowing the one thing to practice, and you can feel the change in your next rally within two or three weeks. If sessions feel pleasant but identical a month in, say so. A good coach will change the plan, and if nothing changes after that conversation, the rate is not earning itself.

Curious whether privates fit your situation? Request a lesson, say what you are chasing, and get an honest read in the first hour. Rates are $125 per hour private, $65 per player semi-private.

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