Tennis lessons in London for adults and juniors
Lifetime Tennis runs weekly group tennis lessons in London for adults and children, plus three-hour weekend adult intensives. Courses are small – never more than four players to a court, and no more than eight players to a coach – and split into six levels, so you only ever train with players at your own standard. Most of our players are improvers to advanced working on topspin, serving and match tactics; beginner courses run every term for anyone starting out. Three venues: Elms Academy in Clapham, Brockwell Park in Herne Hill, and Barn Elms in Barnes. Clapham is ten minutes' walk from Clapham Common station, 12 minutes from Waterloo on the Northern line, which is why players join us from right across London, not just the south.
Looking for lessons for your child? See Saturday junior classes ›
Adult tennis lessons in London – six levels, beginner to advanced
Our adult group tennis lessons run in six- and seven-week terms, one hour a week at the same time each week, so a course fits around work. Evenings Monday to Thursday at Clapham (6pm, 7pm and 8pm), Saturday lunchtime at Barnes. You book the whole term online, your place is held every week, and the group stays the same, which is why most people make more progress in one term with us than in a year of occasional hits with friends.
Every course is a single level. Beginners never share a court with intermediates, and the coaching plan for each level is written out week by week. If you are not sure where you fit, the one-minute Find your level guide will place you, and if you book the wrong level we will simply move you.
Never played, or not since school
The basic swing shapes for every shot – forehand, backhand, volley, smash and serve – then how to rally and keep score. By the end of the course you can rally on your own with a partner.
Beginner classes ›You can rally; now you want consistency
Topspin, footwork, serving under pressure and the tactics of a point, built up week by week with match-play games every session so it sticks. Most players spend two or three terms here.
Improver classes ›Club standard, sharpening your game
Point construction, serve and return, doubles patterns and pace variation. Level 6 runs 90 minutes to give the rallies room.
Intermediate and advanced classes ›Current term: 26 October to 12 December 2026 (7 weeks). Next term: from 11 January 2027 (6 weeks) – booking is open now. · Prefer one-to-one? See private tennis lessons at all three venues.
How booking works
Use Find your level – it takes a minute – then pick Clapham or Barnes for a weekly course, or a weekend intensive.
Spaces are shown live, payment is by card, and your confirmation arrives by email straight away. No membership, no joining fee.
Sports clothes, trainers and your own racquet. Loan racquets are available at Clapham intensives if you are trying tennis for the first time.
Three tennis venues across South and central London
All three are easy to reach from the centre. Clapham is 12 minutes from Waterloo on the Northern line and ten minutes' walk from Clapham Common station; players travel from Battersea, Balham, Brixton, Streatham and from north of the river.
Clapham – Elms Academy
Elms Road, SW4 9ET, by Clapham Common. Adult courses Monday to Thursday evenings, junior classes on Saturday mornings and weekend intensives on Saturday afternoons. Three courts, four players to a court, two coaches per adult class.
Tennis lessons in Clapham ›Brockwell Park – Herne Hill
Park courts between Herne Hill and Brixton. Sunday afternoon intensives for adults, eight players maximum with one coach over two courts.
Tennis lessons in Brockwell Park ›Barnes and Putney – Barn Elms
Barn Elms Sports Centre, SW13. Saturday lunchtime adult courses and Saturday junior classes.
Tennis lessons in Barnes ›Three hours of coaching in one afternoon
A concentrated three-hour session for all levels, beginner to advanced – Saturdays 1–4pm at Clapham, Sundays 1–4pm at Brockwell Park. Each weekend is for a different level on a rotating basis, so every level comes round regularly and you always train with players at your standard. Good as a first step if you are nervous about committing to a full term, or as a top-up between terms. It covers about half of what a six-week course does, so it is a boost, not a replacement. £60.
See intensive datesSaturday junior programme
Mini Red, Orange and Green through to Yellow Ball squads, following the LTA pathway, at Clapham and Barnes on Saturday mornings. Terms follow the Lambeth school calendar, so there is no class on the second Saturday of a school holiday. Over 1,200 families have booked with us in the last ten years.
See junior classesTennis lesson prices in London
Group coaching is the affordable way to learn. A private tennis lesson in London typically costs £50–£80 an hour; a place in one of our courses is £19.50 a class with the same qualified coach.
No membership and no joining fee – you pay for the course and nothing else.
Coaches who train adults at every level, every week
All our coaches are LTA accredited and spend most of their week coaching adults, not juniors. Most of that time goes on Levels 3 to 6 – improvers building a reliable topspin game and club players working on serve, return and point construction – with beginner courses every term feeding into them. We have been coaching in London since 2007, and more than a thousand players have stayed with us for two years or longer, many moving up two or three levels along the way.
Coach Tete – head coach
Tete leads the coaching team and runs the adult programme at Clapham. He creates a welcoming environment on court while challenging every player at the right level and intensity, which is why people get results fast. The rest of the team coach alongside him across the three venues.
Read what players say about Tete ›What players say
★★★★★"Excellent weekly classes led by Tete. Always focussed and well thought through drills. 5 stars."Khalis M. · Google
★★★★★"I've joined a few of these group sessions with Tete and I really like them. Tete is a very good coach. He explains things in a very clear manner, and breaks the movements in a way that allows for understanding and natural progression. I find the structure of the sessions very well organised, with plenty of play time and drills as well as focused time with Tete to cover technique. I will be coming back."Isabella M. · Google
Questions people ask before booking tennis lessons in London
How much do tennis lessons cost in London?
Our weekly group courses are £19.50 a class – £136.50 for a seven-week term or £117 for six weeks. A three-hour weekend intensive is £60, and junior classes are £16 a class. Private lessons in London typically cost £50–£80 an hour, so group coaching with a qualified coach is the affordable way to improve quickly.
I'm a complete beginner. Is that OK?
Yes – Level 1 exists for exactly that and runs every term. The first weeks cover the swing shapes for every shot, then rallying and scoring, and by the end of the course you can rally on your own.
Do I need my own racquet?
For weekly courses, yes – any adult racquet from a sports shop will do to begin with, and we can advise. If you want to try tennis before buying one, book a Clapham intensive, where loan racquets are available.
Can I join part-way through a term?
Yes. Every class has a late-start price. You pay only for the classes still to come, and the price updates on the booking page automatically once the previous week's class has run. You can join right up to the final week.
Where are the lessons?
Clapham (Elms Academy, Elms Road, SW4 9ET – ten minutes' walk from Clapham Common station, 12 minutes from Waterloo on the Northern line), Brockwell Park in Herne Hill, and Barn Elms Sports Centre in Barnes. Many of our players come from north of the river as well as South London.
What level should I book?
Use Find your level – it takes a minute. If you book the wrong level we will move you to the right one.
What happens if it rains?
Classes run in light rain. A session is cancelled only for heavy or constant rain, and we email everyone as early as we can. The full wet weather policy explains how cancellations within a term are handled.
Do you offer private tennis lessons?
Yes, at all three venues, one-to-one or in a small group you bring yourself. Prices, coach availability and booking are on the private tennis lessons page.
Do you coach children?
Yes – Saturday junior classes for ages 4 to 17 at Clapham and Barnes, from Mini Red through to Yellow Ball squads on the LTA pathway. See the junior classes page for this term's times.