Not everyone who joins The West Side Tennis Club is a tennis player — at least, not yet. Some members arrive with little to no experience with racquet sports. Some join for the pool, the community, or the concerts. Others might be open to wherever membership takes them, including the courts.
If you've ever thought, "I'd love to learn, but...," you're not alone. Amaury Piantini, one of our Senior Tennis Pros, says that hesitation is more common than you think.
For a first-time player, joining a club with “tennis” in its name can feel like a lot to walk into. But we’ve built an entire pathway for players who are just getting started, and our tennis pros have guided plenty of them through it.
"The first thing I try to do is make sure that they feel comfortable," Piantini says. "They're already nervous as it is. ‘I've never played this sport, I don't know what to expect.’ So I reaffirm them that it doesn't matter where the ball goes at this point. What matters is that you're able to grasp the foundation of the game and the technical aspects of it, and grow from there."
When a new member comes on board and has never played before, they start with a low-stakes evaluation. Amaury, or fellow pro Kayyam, first helps to find the player’s starting point. Depending on their goals, there are multiple ways someone can grow as a player.
Clinics are organized by skill level, starting with sessions built for complete beginners. We first focus on getting comfortable with the game and building basic technical foundations. As players develop, we introduce more strategy: how to structure a point, where to place the ball, and how to think about the opponent across the net.
Members can also book private lessons with Amaury or Kayyam to work more closely on specific parts of their game. Amaury advocates for both approaches: "I always say yes to the private lesson, for the simple fact that it's just you and the instructor. You're hands-on, working on those weaker portions of your game, really getting that portion stronger. So that when you go into the clinic, now you can put those tools to work."
The clinic is where private lesson work gets applied. Leagues and games are where players measure their progress.
For something more casual, we offer informal, social sessions. Guys' Night Out, for example, brings members together on court for a warm-up and drill session before moving into the lounge for cocktails and conversation.
Whether you want structured instruction or a more casual introduction, we’ll meet you where you are.
Amaury shared an example of a member he’s worked with for roughly four years. When they first met, the member had plenty of athletic ability, but not much technical knowledge. So, they started from the ground up.
They worked on one thing at a time, building confidence in each stroke before moving to the next. Over time, the member began showing up on his own during the summer months, hitting 300 serves in a single hour.
"I told him, backtrack to last year,” Amaury said. “Where were we last year with that? And look at where we're at now, with just the effort and the work that you've put into it."
The member's response? "I never would have thought I would have gotten to this point."
That kind of progress doesn't happen overnight. But it does happen, consistently, for members who show up and put in the work. Seeing it unfold is exactly what keeps Amaury coming back to the court every day.
We have 38 courts, programs for players at every level, and a community that spans all ages and backgrounds. If you’ve been curious about tennis but haven't found the right moment, let this be your sign. The learning curve is real, but so is the payoff of finally finding a sport — and a community — that fits.
Schedule a personal club tour to see the courts, meet the pros, and find out what your path into the game might look like.