Revealed: The difference between a coach and a teacher

I am often asked, “What is the difference between a tennis teacher and a tennis coach.” 

My response is a tennis teacher is one with the primary function of instructing the basic fundamentals and concepts of the game.  These include how to grip the racket, how to prepare to swing the racket at the ball, footwork, and proper swing technique to produce a variety of shots.

The primary function of the tennis coach is to work with the student in a way to enhance the use of their shot-making and athletic skills which goes beyond simply hitting the ball into the court.  However, I believe a quality coach continues the teaching process all the way up to the highest levels of the game.

I define the difference between teaching and coaching in the following way:

The tennis teacher helps the student develop a strategy for competition such as how to defend the court and how to attack the ball.  The tennis teacher has a goal of seeing the students improve in all facets of their game and begin the process of learning how to compete.  The goal of the tennis teacher is for his or her students to improve!

A tennis coach is a tennis teacher with the primary responsibility of improving his or her student(s) results in competitive play.  The success of a tennis coach is based, primarily, on the performance of his or her students. 

Tennis teachers (local tennis professionals) are vital to the game and perform the following tasks

1.    Get students started in the game of tennis

2.    Teach fundamental technique for moving into position and hitting the ball

3.    Introduce game playing

4.    Provide an environment where learning the game is fun and rewarding

5.    Provide competition opportunities in tournaments and leagues

6.    Develop and help put into action a plan for increased tennis and tennis related activities 

Tennis Coaches (Professionals and Touring Professionals) are vital to students in the following ways

1.    Provide feedback after competition

2.    Provide an evaluation of the student’s game

3.    Develop and help put into action a plan to deal with the student’s deficiencies

4.    Help the student develop and refine a style of play given their abilities

5.    Assist the student in the area of planning for training and competition

6.    Help the student realize their utmost potential

Every high-level player I have worked with as a coach (junior, collegiate or professional level) had a solid foundation and good fundamentals.  Coaching this high-level group of players was mostly about technical refinement and how to use the parts of their game. 

Obviously, there can be a strong teaching component in coaching and there can be a coaching role for the tennis teacher.  However, at the highest levels of the game it is not about how to hit a certain shot but more about how to “use” a certain shot.  The “tennis teaching” component becomes less prominent with each higher level attained by the student/player. 

In the tennis world, no professional seems to want to be known as a tennis teacher.  The implication is that a tennis teacher does not have the expertise to advance their students beyond the beginner and intermediate stages of development.  Using the title “professional” or “coach” instead of “teacher” appears to imply that person has far more knowledge about the game and, therefore, must be a better option than a “teacher.”

In my view, the role of the tennis teacher is vital to our game.  Tennis teachers are tasked with getting inexperienced students to develop proper technique and to begin to understand and perform biomechanical movements.   Because teachers take the time to train students the proper fundamentals of tennis a “coach” has the opportunity to begin working on enhancement and refinement of the student's skills.  Thus, the “coach” continues “teaching” the student.

At the very core of their development, top level players had good “teachers.”  These may have been local club professionals, parents or family, or even a friend who offered to “play” tennis or “rally” with the beginning student.  Every one of the top-level players I have been so fortunate to work with (or “coach”) possessed good fundamentals and a sound framework for continuing their improvement.

So, “tennis teacher” or “tennis coach.”  I am happy to be called both.