Best Tennis Lessons Santa Monica/Los Angeles: Train with Coach Ali
AK
By Ali Keshavarz, Tennis coach in Los Angeles, California
If you are searching for tennis lessons in West LA: Santa Monica, Marina Del Ray, Playa Vista, Westwood, and Beverly Hills, I keep training engaging and effective: clear goals, targeted drills, and real feedback every minute. I am Ali Keshavarz, and I coach in person in the listed areas with a plan tailored to how you move, learn, and compete. You will leave each session knowing what improved and what we are doing next.
Why Train With Coach Ali
I have coached tennis for 6 years and have spent 11 years on court as a competitive player. My style is straightforward: I watch you hit first, then we prioritize the 1-2 changes that will unlock the most progress. You will get specific cues and repeatable drills, not general advice.
A few things students say stand out:
Clear instruction and patient coaching. Maria wrote that I “take the time to explain things clearly” and that the corrections “really improved my game.”
Consistency and energy when conditions are tough. Eugene noted that I keep expectations high and turn setbacks into learning moments.
Measurable progress. Grace shared, “I can already tell I am getting better.”
Across 60 reviews, my coaching has a 5-star average, and I have completed more than 200 lessons through this site. Numbers do not replace work on court, but they do reflect a steady, reliable approach you can count on.
Where I Coach In Santa Monica And Nearby
Most of my lessons happen at two Santa Monica courts:
Colorado Center Park, a convenient mid-city spot with enough space to focus.
Douglas Park, a neighborhood favorite that is great for both kids and adults.
If you live near Marina del Rey, we can meet at Glen Alla Park Tennis Courts. On the Westside in Los Angeles, Westwood Tennis Center and Mar Vista Recreation Center are reliable options. I also teach at Los Angeles Tennis Center for players who want a UCLA-adjacent location. All sessions are in person, not online.
If you are unsure which court fits your schedule, tell me the days and times that work for you. I will suggest the closest location with realistic court availability to keep your training consistent.
About the author
AK
Ali Keshavarz
Tennis coach in Los Angeles, California
I coach players ages 5 and up in Santa Monica and the surrounding Westside, including students looking for adaptive tennis lessons. Wherever you're starting from, the aim is the same: better technique, sharper footwork, smarter strategy, and more confidence every time you step on court.
Tennis has been part of my life for 11 years, and I've spent the last six coaching. Every lesson starts the same way. I watch how you move and play, ask what you want out of tennis, and build the session around what I see. Some players want technique explained step by step. Others would rather play points and be challenged early. Either way, you get clear feedback, patience where it's needed, and high expectations throughout.
Maybe tennis has started to feel frustrating. Maybe you just want it to feel fun again. Either way, you'll leave knowing what improved and what we're working on next.
Your first session starts with a quick movement and contact check. I watch your split step, recovery patterns, and how the racquet meets the ball. From there, we pick one primary focus and one supporting habit. Examples:
Groundstrokes: Contact in front, stable wrist at contact, then a footwork pattern like hop-step recoveries.
Serve: Toss height and location, consistent trophy position, then a rhythm cue to make timing reliable.
Volleys: Neutral grip, compact punch, then footwork into and out of the net so you are balanced after contact.
Point play: Build a simple plan, like first ball deep crosscourt, then attack line on a short ball. We keep the pattern small and repeatable.
You will hear short cues you can remember between lessons: “see strings to target,” “load, then go,” or “recover on the hop.” We will write down or text your focus so you can practice exactly what matters.
How I Coach Kids, Adults, And Adaptive Players
I work with players from age 5 through adult, plus adaptive lessons. The setup changes with the player:
Kids: Shorter, game-based sets that teach grips, footwork, and swing paths without over-talking. We use progressions like drop-hit to feed to rally, and we celebrate consistent contact before power.
Adult beginners and returns: We start with reliable contact and a neutral grip you can find under pressure, then we layer in footwork and simple serve mechanics.
Intermediate players: We target one stroke limitation at a time, then test it in live rally and point play. If your forehand breaks down on the run, we build a ball machine or hand-feed pattern that forces open-stance balance and recovery.
Adaptive players: I adapt court setup, feeding, and drill pace to your movement and sensory needs. Communication stays clear and predictable so you can focus on making clean contact and building confidence.
What Level Are My Lessons Right For?
Short answer: if you can benefit from clear feedback and a plan, I can meet you where you are. I work with beginners learning grips and footwork, players returning after a break who want to get their rhythm back, and competitive adults who need structure and accountability. If you are an as-a-4.5-level player looking to tune specific patterns, we build advanced situational drills with targets and scoring so your practice matches the way you want to play.
Sample 60-Minute Lesson Plans
I coach with a framework so each session has a clear outcome.
Option A: Groundstroke Foundation
8 minutes: Dynamic warmup, shadow swings, and balance checks.
12 minutes: Drop feeds and hand feeds to set contact in front and stabilize the wrist.
15 minutes: Live rally crosscourt with one footwork focus, like recover on a hop.
15 minutes: Pattern play, for example, two cross, one line to a target cone.
10 minutes: Scored rally to 11 with constraints, like in-to-in only. Debrief and homework.
Option B: Serve First, Then First Ball
10 minutes: Toss and rhythm work with checkpoints at trophy and contact.
15 minutes: Target serving, deuce and ad, tracking first-serve percentage.
15 minutes: Serve plus one, where you hit the first rally ball deep cross.
10 minutes: Second-serve pattern and neutral start to points.
10 minutes: Point play with a narrow plan and stats, like first ball depth.
Option C: Net Game And Transition
8 minutes: Volley grip and compact punch.
12 minutes: Reflex and control volleys to both corners, then drop-volleys.
15 minutes: Approach patterns, deep middle then close, or line then cover.
15 minutes: Half-court live points starting with a short ball feed.
10 minutes: Transition quiz points to 7, focused on decision-making.
How We Make Progress That Sticks
Tennis progress is about repetition and attention, not just effort. I keep the reps high and the feedback specific. We pause only to correct what matters, then go back to live hitting so you can feel the change under real timing. After lessons, I give you 2-3 homework items you can do at a public wall or with a friend, like 50 shadow forehands with a stop at contact or serve-toss reps to a small chalk target.
I also track one metric per week. Examples: first-serve percentage, crosscourt rally length to 7, or approach-and-finish efficiency. Simple stats turn vague improvement into something you can see.
What To Bring, What I Provide
I can provide tennis racquets and plenty of tennis balls. You should bring water, sunscreen, a hat, tennis shoes, and your personal racket if you have one. If a session is mid-day, we plan for shade breaks and pacing so you can keep quality high even when it is hot.
How Much Do Tennis Lessons Cost In Santa Monica?
You can book a singlePrivate Tennis Lesson for 60 minutes at $80. If you want consistency and savings, packages help: a 4-Session Tennis Package at $75 per lesson, an 8-Session Tennis Package at $70 per lesson, and a 12-Session Tennis Package at $65 per lesson. Each lesson is 60 minutes and focused on technique, movement, and strategy, with a clear plan and homework so you get more from your time on court.
If you are comparing tennis lesson options, choose the plan that best matches how often you can train. Once a week is enough to build habits if you do the homework. Training twice a week accelerates change if you are preparing for a league, a school team, or a return to competition.
How We Use Local Courts Well
Santa Monica and Westside courts can fill up quickly. Here is how I manage that so your lesson stays productive:
Timing: We schedule around peak hours when possible. Early morning or late afternoon often means steadier conditions and fewer waits.
Two Quick Drills You Can Do On Your Own
Shadow-and-Stop Forehands: In your driveway or on the sideline, take 10 slow forehands and stop the racquet at contact. Check that contact is in front of your front hip with the strings facing the target. Repeat in sets of 10 until the position feels automatic.
Serve Toss Box: Draw a small box with chalk or place two cones where your toss should land. Hit 20 serves trying to land the ball in the box before contact. Stable toss, then smooth rhythm.
These look simple, but they compound fast when you add them between sessions.
Who Books Lessons And Why
Beginners who want to enjoy rallies without guessing at technique.
Parents of juniors who value structure, patience, and high expectations.
Adult players returning after a long break who want a clear path back to confident hitting.
Competitive adults who need an accountability partner and a plan that holds up under pressure.
FAQ
How quickly will I see improvement from lessons?
Most players feel a difference in the first session because we target the biggest win first, like contact point or footwork timing. Real consistency comes from 3-6 weeks of focused reps, especially if you do the short homework I send after each lesson.
Ready To Train?
If you want coaching that is specific, practical, and local, I would love to work with you. Book a lesson and let us build a plan that makes tennis feel fun and progress feel obvious.
