CoachCourt Match brief Player-Coach Match · USD 9
Three padel coaches for a 3.5 plateau
You are not a beginner and you are not being coached like one. Shortlisted on level taught, not on distance.
You have had eight lessons at your home club and stopped improving. The brief says your serve and volleys are fine and you lose points at the back glass. That is a 3.0 to 4.0 problem, and it is taught by a different coach from the one who teaches people to hold the racket.
Nothing is wrong with your club. The coach you have been booking there teaches beginners, which is most of that club's demand, and glass work is not what they do. Javi R. at Riverside coaches 3.0 to 4.5 exclusively and has a Thursday evening slot. It is a 22 minute drive rather than a 6 minute walk.
The brief
What we matched against
| Field | What you told us |
|---|---|
| Sport and level | Padel, self assessed 3.5, playing 18 months |
| Goal | Get past the plateau. Club league team next season |
| Working | Serve, net volleys, general movement |
| Not working | Back glass, defensive lobs, knowing when to leave the ball |
| Play frequency | Twice a week, social doubles |
| Availability | Weekday evenings after 18:30, Sunday mornings |
| Format | One to one, or a pair with a regular partner |
| Budget | Up to 45 GBP an hour, or 60 GBP for two |
Shortlist
The three
Javi R.
Coaches 3.0 to 4.5 only and turns away beginners. Former professional circuit player, coaching seven years. Glass and defensive positioning are the first two things on his lesson list. Thursday 19:00 open weekly, and he runs a 3.5 group on Sunday mornings at 18 GBP a head. 74 reviews, 4.9, and they read like intermediate players.
Steph O.
Tennis and padel, coaches both. Strongest of the three on movement and court positioning, which is the other half of your problem. Less specialised on glass. Two evening slots and a Sunday. Good option if you want pair lessons with your partner, which she prefers to run.
Marc L.
Not the coach you have been seeing. Also at your club, coaches the club's league players, and does not appear in the club's own booking page because he is full most weeks. One Tuesday slot from November. Cheapest and closest, with a waiting list attached.
Compare
Side by side
| Javi R. | Steph O. | Marc L. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teaches 3.0 and above | Exclusively | Yes | Yes, league players |
| Back glass and defence listed | Yes, first | Secondary | Yes |
| Available before November | Yes, weekly | Yes | No, from November |
| Pair lessons | Yes, 60 GBP | Yes, preferred | Yes, 58 GBP |
| Group option at your level | Sunday, 18 GBP | No | No |
| Travel | 22 min drive | 15 min | 6 min walk |
| Court fee included | Yes | No, plus 12 GBP | Member rate |
On the true hourly cost, Steph is 52 GBP once the court is added, which makes Javi the cheapest of the two available now as well as the closest fit.
Next
What to do
- Book one lesson with Javi, not a block. Tell him the plateau, not the level.
- Ask all three how they would work on leaving the ball, which is the hardest thing to coach and the fastest way to tell who can.
- Join Marc's waiting list anyway. It costs nothing and November is not far.
- Try Javi's Sunday group once. At 18 GBP it is the cheapest way to play against people better than you.
- Message all three through CoachCourt so the booking is covered
- Confirm whether the court fee is included before the first lesson
- Ask about a block rate only after the first session, never before