This comes up in almost every first message from a new student: should I book private lessons or find a group to join. There’s a real answer, and it depends less on budget than most people assume.
The case for starting private
If you’re self-conscious about being watched, or you’re working around an old injury that needs specific attention, private lessons remove the variable of a training partner entirely. Every minute of coaching is about you. Progress also tends to be faster in raw technical terms, since there’s no shared court time to divide.
The case for starting in a small group
If you’re bringing a partner, spouse, or a couple of friends who are all beginners, learning together usually beats learning separately. You get a real hitting partner at your own level from week one, which private lessons can’t offer until you’re rallying well enough to hit with the coach. It’s also simply more fun for a lot of people to laugh through the early, uncoordinated weeks with someone else going through the same thing, rather than alone.
What actually differs in the coaching itself
A private lesson can pivot instantly, if your footwork is the real issue today, the whole session can reorganise around that. A small-group session has to balance attention across two to four people, so an individual issue might get eight minutes of direct focus rather than fifty. That’s a genuine tradeoff, not a marketing point either way.
Cost, briefly
Group lessons are typically cheaper per person than an equivalent hour of private coaching, since the rate is split. That’s worth knowing, but it shouldn’t be the deciding factor on its own, the format that gets you actually showing up regularly matters more than saving a small amount per session.
A reasonable way to decide
If you’re starting completely alone, private lessons for the first month or so, then optionally switching to a group once you can rally, is a common and sensible path. If you already have a willing partner, start together in a small group and consider adding an occasional private session if one of you wants to progress faster on something specific.
Either way, both formats are covered, private lessons and small-group lessons, and it’s fine to message and ask which one fits your specific situation before booking.