Michael M, Tennis-Pickleball Coach / Sports Psychologist

I initially inquire about scheduling, ask about prior experience with tennis and/or other sports, and inquire about short and long-tem goals in tennis.

Former USPTA certification, over 50 years of playing/competing, and over 30 years of coaching. Further, my advanced degree in psychology and over 10 yrs experience in secondary and post-secondary education gives me unique insight on how humans learn new skills at varying stages of development.

My hourly rate is 95/hr and pickleball is 85/hr.  My suggestion is to book a trial session to examine how I operate and get a feel of the chemistry between us to see if we're a good fit.

I'm relatively choosy with new students and you too,  should be choosy with any prospective coach!

                                2024 Rates:

 One on One, Private Tennis Instruction:      $95.00 / HR

Semi-Private Instruction add $10.00 per player

An example for more than one student:

2 players-  $105 / 2 = $57.50 per player,

3 Players-  $115 / 3 = $41.66 per player.

Racket re-stringing and frame customization services available...

A terrible injury ended my competetive playing career as a young adult and my passion for tennis was so strong that I was thankfully, able to channel all those energies into coaching. I began coaching part time while I was in college and discovered that teaching/coaching this wonderful game was my life's calling...

I've worked with all levels from "never touched a tennis racket" to advanced tournament level players. My youngest pupil was 4 years old, my eldest was 83.

My most technically perfect student is a woman who came to me never having hit a tennis ball. She was like a peice of clay and had no bad habits to contend with...

After almost 2 years of working on a student's forehand "hitch" he had when I met him, around Christmas 2021 it happened...He refrained from playing due to a new job and I took the opportunity to hone in on this issue in this "non-rehearsed" stage. In two sessions, the hitch  finally disappeared and his forehand was like Novak's (ATP World #1), actually a little better and more compact.

I have to be honest and say that I almost gave up on this very difficult endeavor.

1) Seek a coach who is a "stickler" about technique, which includes the non-dominant hand. A tennis stroke lasts a lifetime and bad habits/flawed muscle memory take a very long time to change. Sometimes it never happens and you're stuck with it forever. I've had to discontinue the training of several students in my past who had flaws so deeply ingrained, I was unable to make any progress.  I told them (and their parents) they were wasting their money.

If the coach is not addressing your non-dominant hand during the stroke, he or she's not "the one." The non-dominant hand is crucial in the development of EVERY tennis shot. Go to any tennis/country club and you'll find players with a flawed non-dominant hand. I've witnessed flawed non-dominant hands over and over in coaching sessions all over the world

2) Seek a coach who is honest. I could have gone on for years of hitting balls and further ingraining  terrible technique. I see it all the time, the coach hitting balls and the student hitting the flawed shot over and over again.

3) Find a coach who emphasizes variety in shotmaking at an early stage. That is, one who trains in using touch/finesse, topspin, backspin, and not just hitting as hard as you can hit the ball.

4) Seek a coach who's not overbooked. So many coaches are simply overbooked and have no way of tailoring a high level of services to your exact needs. It becomes "cookie cutter" and you're the cookie who suffers.

5) Seek a coach who utilizes video analysis in your stroke production. There and many things the naked eye can not see in a tennis stroke. My coaching got to a new level when I started using HUDL Technique, now, OnForm, a video coaching app that allows for slow motion, "scrubbing" (repeating a motion by using a finger) and comparison screens where I'm able to compare a student's stroke with a prior version, or perhaps my own or other professional stroke mechanics. When a student sees what they're doing right and what they're doing wrong on a video screen, it really helps in making the appropriate changes in the stroke. Most importantly, it exponentially speeds up progress and improvement!

1) Short and long-term goals. What is it you'd like to achieve in 3-6 months? Where do you want to be in 5 years?

2) Time and dedication to the game. Tennis is complex. It's not like any other sport. It demands technical skills, athleticism and fitness. How much time will you dedicate to becoming a real player? My suggestion for starters, is for every one hour of instruction/coaching, there should be a MINIMUM of 3 hours time dedicated to rehearsal/practice. Mastering a tennis shot takes TENS OF THOUSANDS of repetitions OF CORRECT TECHNIQUE!