Tennis 🎾 lessons with
Coach Spencer Carey
Fromper lesson
Tennis 🎾 lessons with
Coach Spencer Carey
Fromper lesson
92
Happy Student ScoreGreat
Spencer is reliable and responsive. Students are happy and often return for more lessons.
Coach Rating
5.0
5 ratings5 reviews
92
Happy Student ScoreGreat
Spencer is reliable and responsive. Students are happy and often return for more lessons.
Coach Rating
5.0
5 ratings5 reviews
About your tennis coach
Former D3 collegiate player and elite coach with a proven track record at Houston’s most prestigious, high-level private tennis clubs. I bring top-tier technical expertise to players of all ages and stages—from introducing the game to enthusiastic 4-year-olds to fine-tuning competitive high school and collegiate athletes. Dedicated to developing mechanics, strategy, and a lifelong love for the game through personalized, high-performance training. Let’s elevate your game!
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Teaches: Kids, Teenagers, Adults
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Levels: Beginners, Intermediates
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Lives in: Houston, Texas
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Years Playing: 9 years
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Given: 21 lessons
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Spencer's availability
Find a location and time that works for you
Availability on all locations
Near Houston, Texas
Didn't find a time or location that works with Spencer?
We can suggest similar coaches or arrange a different spot (even at home)
We can suggest similar coaches or arrange a different spot (even at home)
Accomplishments
🎾7.6 UTR
🏅Experienced Player
➕Former College Tennis Player
Specializations
🎯Forehand, Backhand, Serve, Volleys, Footwork
Beginner training plan
Your first lessonMy primary goal for the first lesson is to build confidence, establish comfort with the racket, and guarantee the student leaves having fun. We start off the court with the absolute fundamentals: proper ready position, the Eastern forehand grip, and basic ball-tracking skills. I focus on keeping technical jargon to a minimum so the student doesn't feel overwhelmed.
Favorite Drill: “Drop, Bounce, Catch & Hit”
Instead of immediately feeding live balls from across the net, I stand right next to the student. I drop a ball, have them let it bounce, and practice a relaxed, low-to-high shadow swing to guide the ball over the net. This builds immediate muscle memory for the point of contact without the pressure of movement.
Lesson 2-3Lessons 2 and 3 are all about establishing the core groundstrokes and introducing fundamental footwork. We break down the distinct preparation and follow-through paths for both the forehand and the backhand. Students will learn the “split-step” and how to actively move their feet to adjust to a moving ball, rather than standing stationary.
Favorite Drill: “The Turn and Burn”
I feed easy, predictable balls from across the net to alternating sides. The focus is purely on early preparation by turning the shoulders the moment the ball leaves my racket. This drill teaches students how to transition smoothly from a dynamic ready position into a balanced hitting stance.
Lesson 4-10This block is where we build consistency and expand the toolkit. We move beyond isolated hits and work on sustaining short, cooperative rallies. Over these weeks, we also introduce the mechanics of the overhead serve (using a simplified continental grip) and basic net play (volleys).
Favorite Drill: “The 10-Ball Co-op Challenge”
We start in the service boxes (short court) and try to hit 10 consecutive, controlled balls back and forth to each other without missing. Once mastered, we gradually step back to the baseline. It shifts the mindset from just “hitting” the ball to controlling depth, height, and pace.
Lesson 11+From lesson 11 onward, the focus transitions from basic mechanics to practical match play, strategy, and positioning. Students learn how to keep score, where to stand during singles and doubles, and how to execute a proper serve-and-return routine to start a point.
Favorite Drill: “Serve, Return, and Play”
We simulate real game scenarios. The student practices serving into the correct box, I hit a controlled return, and we play out the point using the full singles court. This bridges the gap between technical drills and the pressure of real gameplay, teaching them how to recover and think tactically on the fly.
Advanced training plan
Your first lessonMy approach with an advanced player begins with a comprehensive assessment of their technical foundations, physical conditioning, and tactical habits. Instead of introducing new mechanics right away, the first lesson is about identifying performance bottlenecks. We immediately jump into high-intensity hitting and live-ball baseline exchanges so I can analyze footwork patterns, shot depth, and decision-making under pace.
Favorite Drill: “The Baseline Diagnostic”
A high-tempo, cross-court rallying drill where the player must hit targets deep in the corner. I suddenly inject variation, such as a heavy topspin ball, a low slice, or a short ball to see how naturally the player adjusts their spacing, changes their grip, and transitions from defense to offense.
Lesson 2-3Lessons 2 and 3 focus on optimization and weapon development. We target specific technical tweaks to maximize racquet head speed, refine ball spinning (heavy topspin vs. skidding slices), and improve the consistency of secondary shots like the second serve or weak-side passing shots. Footwork emphasis shifts toward advanced movement mechanics, such as open-stance recovery and explosive first-step transitions.
Favorite Drill: “Inside-Out / Inside-In Dominance”
Feeding deep balls to the center-backhand side, forcing the player to use explosive footwork to run around the ball and dictate the point with an aggressive inside-out or inside-in forehand. This refines court positioning and trains them to hunt for their primary weapon.
Lesson 4-10This block is dedicated to pattern building, point construction, and transitional play. We drill high-percentage patterns (pulling the opponent wide to open up the line) and heavily emphasize transition mechanics such as hitting aggressive approach shots on the rise and executing crisp, decisive finishing volleys.
Favorite Drill: “The 2-1-Drop Transition”
The player hits two heavy, deep groundstrokes to push me behind the baseline, attacks a shorter ball on the rise to a designated target, and immediately transitions to the net to close out the point with a volley or overhead. It builds seamless court fluidity and aggressive instincts.
Lesson 11+From lesson 11 onward, training simulates the physical and psychological pressures of real tournament match play. We focus entirely on tactical adaptability, situational strategy (playing from ahead vs. behind), and maximizing the efficiency of the serve-and-return. Lessons include scripted pressure scenarios, tiebreak simulations, and match tracking to build mental resilience.
Favorite Drill: “Serve/Return Under Pressure (The 15-30 Drill)”
We play competitive points, but the player constantly starts the game down 15-30 on their serve, or up 30-15 on their return. This forces the player to hit precise, high-percentage first serves under tactical pressure, or manage risk effectively on the return to construct a break point opportunity.
Youth players
Working with kidsWhen working with younger children, my approach shifts completely toward gamification, high energy, and foundational athletic development. I focus on keeping the kids constantly moving through short, rapid-fire activities that disguise basic technical discipline as play. We focus heavily on eye-hand coordination, spatial awareness, and proper tracking of the ball using age-appropriate modified equipment (like low-compression red, orange, or green-dot balls) to ensure early success and build lasting confidence.
Working with teenagersMy approach with teenagers balances high-performance athletic training with structured, goal-oriented mentorship. I treat them like serious athletes, involving them directly in the goal-setting process and explaining the "why" behind every technical adjustment or tactical shift. Lessons are highly structured, incorporating dynamic footwork conditioning, point construction, and mental resilience under pressure. I find that teenagers thrive when given clear benchmarks, peer-to-peer accountability, and a healthy dose of competitive match play.
What you need to bringTennis court shoes, racket, water bottle, proper tennis attire.
What I can bringBalls & Cones
Frequently asked questions
Cancellation Policy
We totally understand that life can be unpredictable and plans might change. That's
why we've got your back with our flexible cancellation policy, designed to give you
peace of mind when booking private sports lessons with our awesome local instructors!
If you need to cancel your lesson, no worries! You can get a full refund if you cancel within 24 hours of making your booking. We want to make the process as hassle-free as possible for you.
And if you simply want to reschedule your lesson, change the date and time, or adjust the number of students joining, we've got you covered there too. You can easily make these changes within 24 hours of booking, and up to 72 hours before your lesson starts.
Our goal is to make your experience smooth, enjoyable, and worry-free. So go ahead and book with confidence, knowing that we're here to accommodate your needs every step of the way!
If you need to cancel your lesson, no worries! You can get a full refund if you cancel within 24 hours of making your booking. We want to make the process as hassle-free as possible for you.
And if you simply want to reschedule your lesson, change the date and time, or adjust the number of students joining, we've got you covered there too. You can easily make these changes within 24 hours of booking, and up to 72 hours before your lesson starts.
Our goal is to make your experience smooth, enjoyable, and worry-free. So go ahead and book with confidence, knowing that we're here to accommodate your needs every step of the way!