Beginner tennis lessons for an adult or family near Rockridge
Hi BPN,
I'm looking for tennis lesson recommendations. Most of the advice on BPN is either 3+ years old or focused on kids. I'm open to solo or group classes as long as the instructor has the patience and ability to teach someone who has never played before and isn't very athletic. I can go solo as an adult or after-school / on weekends as a family (with elementary-aged child). Something convenient to Rockridge or with easy parking would be preferable.
Based on Yelp, some that look like they might be a fit are group lessons at Davie Tennis or Berkeley Tennis Club (their Yelp reviews focus on the courts, not lessons), or lessons with Nicole Havlicek or Tony Franco (good Yelp reviews). Further north, I see reviews for Aztec Tennis and Winslow Tennis and could check them out as well.
Thank you!
Parent Replies
Moraga Valley Pool has a couple good instructors. My daughter takes private lessons there. They are off Moraga Way, near the Orinda border (near Miramonte HS). You don't have to be a member, but it's slightly more expensive if you are not. Good parking.
Alexander Winslow is a great guy and a great tennis instructor. I don't know if he teaches beginners, but he at least would be able to recommend someone. (My daughters have taken a few lessons with him in the summers).
Davie is a great option for adult beginning classes, and if your child is old enough to be left alone within eyesight, it's in a secluded spot with bleachers and a little lodge area where s/he can hang out for an hour. The class schedules change, but there's usually something on weekend evenings and a couple of options during the weekend. The intermediate classes tend to be held right after the beginner classes, so it's an easy transition should you move up. (I did so, about a year and a half after I started beginner lessons.) There are also private lessons available.
The only thing that makes it a little bit tricky is that the sessions are six or eight weeks long, and in the winter, when classes sometimes get rained out, it's hard to tell when the next session will open because the make-up class is tacked onto the end of the session. The director tends to open the next session for registration only the week before the first class, and they do fill up quickly with returning students. If I were you, I'd call and ask when to expect the next session.
And the beginning classes do represent a lot of skill levels--no shaming your tennis game. Usually there's a mix of former high school athletes and people who (like me) just thought it seemed kind of fun. Don't worry at all about not being "athletic." It's my favorite time of the week. :)
P.S. There's a little parking lot and ample street parking.