Term 4 starts on Monday, and a few Christchurch clubs have adult courses lined up. Two start this week.
Waimairi and Shirley
Waimairi runs Tennis Xpress for adults who want to come back to the game or have never played. It's eight one-hour lessons, starting Monday 12 October at 6:30pm, and wet nights get made up. Non-members pay $160, members and parents of members $125. The coaching uses lower-pressure balls, flexible court sizes and simple scoring, and the idea is to get you playing quickly. Waimairi also runs an eight-week Cardio Tennis block from the same night, at 7:30pm, if you'd rather start with fitness.
Shirley also calls its course Tennis Xpress. It's six weeks of 60-minute lessons on Wednesdays, 6pm to 7pm, starting 14 October, in groups of up to six at similar levels. $120 for the lot, and Head Coach Andrew Falck runs it. Six weeks is the shortest course on this list.
St Albans
St Albans has an Adult Beginner Group that starts in Terms 1 and 4: one-hour lessons, $240 for 16 weeks, six players to a coach. It's a longer run than the others. Ask the coach, Winston, which night it's on before you plan around it.
Beckenham
Beckenham has adult coaching on Tuesday nights, 6:30pm to 7:30pm during daylight saving, $150 for the term. It doesn't call it a beginner course, so ask whether it suits you.
Their Cardio Tennis is the easier first step. Mondays at the same time, $10 a person, all abilities, and non-members are welcome.
Bishopdale
Bishopdale's adult Xpress runs Thursday nights in school term time, with a 6pm to 7pm slot and a 7pm to 8pm one. It's open to beginners through to advanced players, split into groups by ability, with about four to a group, so you won't be thrown in with people far ahead of you. The club is at 35 Leacroft Street. Ask the club for this term's dates and price before you turn up.
After the course
A course gets you the basics: serving, rallying, keeping score. Then the term ends and you need someone to hit with, at your level and free when you are. That's the harder bit. Courts are easier, and some clubs let you play without joining.
Hitter is for finding that person in Christchurch. More at hitter.nz.
