Quick version: book private when you have a specific problem, a clinic when you want structured improvement with built-in game play, and a semi-private when you have a friend and want most of the private’s attention at half the price. The formats aren’t better or worse; they’re for different jobs.
Private: the diagnosis-and-fix format
One-on-one, every rep is yours, and the lesson bends entirely around your game. The natural fit is something specific and broken: your serve, your third shot, a plateau you can’t name. It also suits brand-new players who want zero audience while they learn, and anyone prepping for a tournament on a deadline. The tradeoff beyond price: with only two people on the court, there’s no live doubles, so game situations are simulated rather than played.
Group clinic: the structured-improvement format
Three or four players, drills that need multiple bodies, and real doubles points at the end. The group rate is the total, so four players split it down to drop-in-class money per person. More important than price: game gaps like positioning, communication, and shot selection can’t be drilled without other players on the court. My favorite version is a standing foursome that clinics together, because a group that plays together fixes its collective bad habits, and that’s worth more than any individual stroke. Clinics can also run with two coaches for a flat $40/hr more; the group splits into pairs per drill and everyone’s rep count roughly doubles.
Semi-private: the quiet best value
Two players, one coach, $80 an hour total. You get most of a private’s individual attention, a built-in drill partner who has heard the same instructions, and someone to practice with between lessons, which is what makes lessons stick. If you have one regular partner, this is the format I recommend most.
Still unsure?
Start with whatever’s easiest to book with the people you play with; the best format is the one that gets you on a court. Every option is itemized with live prices at pricing, and first-timers get a discount either way. Book here.
We coach private lessons and clinics across Tacoma, Fircrest, and Lakewood. Book a lesson or see pricing.