The first session is dedicated to assessing the student overallāgetting to know them, understanding their specific goals, and identifying their strengths and weaknesses. This initial evaluation helps determine the key focus areas for upcoming lessons.
At this point, a strong rapport has been built between the student and me. The tone is relaxed and friendly, and the student is fully adapted to the training structure. This is typically when I begin incorporating video analysis to offer deeper insight into the studentās performance and help them progress even outside of our sessions.
By this stage, the student builds confidence and consistency in the core strokes. Lessons emphasize repetition, proper technique, and simple rallying exercises to develop rhythm and control. Concepts such as shot selection, movement, and court awareness are introduced gradually, with plenty of variety to keep sessions engaging while reinforcing the basics.
These sessions focus on introducing and reinforcing the fundamental strokesāforehand, backhand, volley, serve, and overhead. I also begin to teach the basic rules, scoring system, court positioning, and simple footwork patterns. A structured routine is introduced, including a proper warm-up, basic technical drills, and a cooldown, with clear and encouraging feedback throughout.