If you’ve ever caught yourself giving coaching tips between points, or can’t help but analyze a friend’s serve (even when they didn’t ask), you might have what it takes to be a tennis instructor.

Teaching tennis is more than showing someone how to hit a clean forehand it’s about helping people move better, gain confidence, and fall in love with the game. And when you get to do that every day on the court? That’s a pretty amazing way to spend your workday.

Here’s a friendly guide to what it takes to become a great tennis instructor whether you’re looking to start fresh or grow your career at a club like BTTC.

Step 1: Understand the Role

Being a tennis instructor means wearing a few different hats: teacher, motivator, strategist, and sometimes part-time cheerleader.

At the club level, you might be teaching kids in one hour, rallying with adults the next, and running drills for a high school player after that. It keeps things interesting — and it’s one of the reasons this job is so rewarding.

What you’ll actually do:

  • Assess players’ skill levels and goals

  • Teach technique — from serves and volleys to footwork and positioning

  • Keep lessons fun and engaging (no endless ball feeding here!)

  • Motivate and inspire players to keep improving

Basically, your job is to make tennis approachable, challenging, and enjoyable for every kind of player.

Step 2: Build a Solid Tennis Foundation

You don’t need to have played on the pro tour to teach well — but you do need solid fundamentals and a good understanding of strategy, movement, and game flow.

Playing competitively, even just in local leagues or tournaments, helps you understand the mental and physical side of the game — and that perspective makes you a better coach.

And let’s be real: teaching tennis is physical. You’ll be running, demonstrating, and feeding balls for hours. Staying fit means you can coach longer, demonstrate better, and avoid those “I pulled something” moments.

Step 3: Get Certified (Because Credibility Counts)

Certifications aren’t just a box to check — they give you credibility, structure, and a network of fellow coaches.

At BTTC (and most reputable clubs), we value instructors who are certified through organizations like:

  • USTA (United States Tennis Association)

  • PTR (Professional Tennis Registry)

  • USPTA (United States Professional Tennis Association)

Each offers coursework, on-court training, and testing to make sure you’re ready to teach effectively and safely. Bonus: certification often opens doors to more coaching opportunities and higher pay rates at clubs.

Step 4: Gain On-Court Experience

Start wherever you can — as an assistant coach, a junior instructor, or a camp leader.
 Working with a variety of players helps you learn how to adapt your teaching style and manage different group dynamics.

Many of the best instructors started by helping out at tennis clubs or community programs, where they learned the ins and outs of lesson planning, progress tracking, and how to make drills fun.

Step 5: Master the Art of Teaching (and Connecting)

A great coach doesn’t just teach — they connect.

Players come to lessons for all kinds of reasons: to improve, to de-stress, to socialize, or just to move. Being able to read your players, motivate them, and adjust your approach is what sets good coaches apart.

The best instructors:

  • Communicate clearly (and keep things simple)

  • Stay patient when progress takes time

  • Offer positive, specific feedback

  • Keep lessons light, fun, and encouraging

At the end of the day, if your players leave smiling and a little sweatier than when they arrived — you’re doing it right.

Step 6: Keep Learning

Coaching and tennis are always evolving. Stay curious and committed to improving — both as a player and as a teacher.

Attend workshops, shadow experienced coaches, or learn about related topics like biomechanics, sports psychology, or fitness conditioning. The more tools you have, the more value you bring to your players — and to your club.

And yes, keep playing! It keeps your energy high and your love for the game alive.

Step 7: Grow in a Club Environment

Teaching at a club offers something private instruction can’t — community. You get to be part of a team, work with players of all ages and levels, and have access to resources that help you grow.

At BTTC, for example, our coaches collaborate, share drills and ideas, and celebrate each other’s wins — on and off the court. You’ll build lasting relationships with members, and your students will become part of your extended tennis family.

Final Thoughts

Becoming a tennis instructor is about more than teaching strokes — it’s about sharing a passion that can change someone’s day (or even their life).

If you love being active, connecting with people, and helping others reach their goals, this could be one of the most rewarding jobs you’ll ever have.

Call to Action

BTTC is looking for passionate tennis instructors!
 If you love the game, enjoy working with people, and want to be part of a fun, supportive coaching team, we’d love to meet you.

Come grow your coaching career with us — where the courts are lively, the players are motivated, and the community feels like family.

Reach out to learn more about teaching opportunities at BTTC.