top of page

FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS

  • Coach Jason, can you tell me about your tennis & tennis coaching background?
    Coach Jason is currently the assistant tennis coach at Menlo Atherton High School and taught tennis for over 30 years, starting when he was 15 in Westchester, NY at the Gipsy Trail Club. Coach Jason started playing when he was 10 years old at the Cross Court Tennis Club in Poughkeepsie, NY. He played No. 1 on his high school tennis team in Westchester County, NY while also becoming the valedictorian of his high school (aka he is an unabashed nerd!), playing violin in NY All-State orchestra, and volunteering at our local hospital. Coach J graduated cum laude from Williams College in Williamstown, MA and also played JV tennis. In his adult life, when his son was 4, Coach Jason re-started coaching kids in both baseball and soccer Menlo Atherton Little League and AYSO (American Youth Soccer Organization) and found that he was passionate about teaching kids sports and couldn't get enough. As a result, he started teaching his friends' kids tennis in his spare time. Additionally, he has shared his passion for tennis with both his children, Eva and Austin. Both play USTA competitive tennis and are ranked in Northern California. Eva is an ~8.0 UTR (Universal Tennis Rating). Through the competitive junior circuit, (aka USTA junior tennis), Coach Jason has gained both great friends and unique knowledge around how to best grow a junior player's tennis skill set while keeping the game fun and exciting for students. Additionally, Coach Jason considers himself a lifelong student of the sport and has attended Mouratoglou Academy (2023), Nadal Academy (2019), Saddlebrook Tennis Academy (2018). Mouratoglou Academy is where Serena Williams, former No 1 in the World & Stefanos Tsitsipas, No 3 in the World, trained professionally. Normally, Coach Jason attends at least 1 major tennis tournament a year (Indian Wells, US Open, French Open, etc) to watch the current players' latest technical innovations in tennis. In Coach Jason's non-tennis life, Jason has been a finance and strategic partnerships professional in Silicon Valley for over 20 years. During the early part of his career, he worked in investment banking at Citigroup, JPMorgan and later at Google and Yelp in strategic partnerships. Given Coach Jason's background, he believes he brings in a very different perspective to his students and helps kids prepare for life and not just tennis (careers, higher education, mental toughness, healthy habits) Coach Jason's Linkedin profile can been found here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonchow88/
  • How much do you charge?
    5 PACK LESSON RATE. If you buy a 5 pack of lessons, I charge $125/hr ($625 paid upfront). At this time, I do not offer any lower pricing or greater discounts for more than 5 lessons. My single lesson rate is $135/hr. (If you are new 1:1 student, I do offer first time trial lessons for $100/hr.) MENLO ATHERTON HS TEAM DISCOUNT. If you are a current MA high school team member, you get a special $115/hr rate (15% discount) for a 5 pack of lessons ($575 paid upfront). My single lesson rate is $125/hr per hour and also offer the same first time trial rate above for new students. COACH J GUARANTEE: I am very proud of my reputation in our local tennis community. If you are ever unsatisfied with one of my tennis lessons, please text me in writing about you or your student's feedback. I will gladly refund 100% of your money AND/OR offer you another lesson to see what can be done to improve the student experience.
  • What is your cancellation and reschedule policy?
    Like most coaches, I ask that you notify me 24 hrs in advance of your lesson so that I may reschedule other lessons during your spot. If you tell me you can't make it within the 24 hr window, I will need to charge you for the cancelled lesson. If a lesson is cancelled due to inclement weather (rain, smoke, etc), I will reschedule the lesson at a mutually convenient time.
  • How do I get ready for my first tennis lesson?
    Here's a quick start list: (1) Tennis racket with a grip that fits your hand** (2) Tennis shoes (3) Water bottle (4). Sunscreen (5). Visor or hairband/clips for long hair For nervous adult students (or nervous parents), you may want to bring a separate bottle with an alcoholic beverage of your choice 🤣😎. **If you don't own a tennis racket, Coach Jason has plenty of tennis rackets for you to borrow. In my opinion, the most important thing for you (or your child's) first lesson is to choose a comfortable pair of tennis specific shoes. If you don't have 1, we can discuss how to choose a pair at your first lesson (read more on equipment). Alternatively, I strongly suggest going to a specialty tennis store such as Tennis Store Town and Country (http://tennistownandcountry.com/) to get fitted with good pair of tennis shoes. I love this store's attention to detail and depth of understanding re tennis. (Avoid buying at a big box or online store for your first pair of tennis shoes since you will want to understand more about what is important in looking for a tennis shoe). If you are more serious about getting tennis clothes, he recommends choosing cool threads from either Tennis Express or Tennis Warehouse.
  • Do you have any great books to read about tennis or coaching?
    Atomic Habits (James Clear) https://a.co/d/7RJHIrq This is one of my favorite non-fiction books of all time, mainly because it outlines how to best manage behavior change and how exactly to develop new healthy habits in yourself or in your family. When you hear all your smartest Google colleagues and tennis friends talking about one book, I thought to myself "just suck it up and read it". In my own life, I have used Clear's techniques to change my serving technique, my coaching methodology & also my diet. Youtube talk here. Winning Ugly (Brad Gilbert) https://a.co/d/16dA8eq Brad Gilbert was a groundbreaking tennis player for my era (while growing up) because he popularized mental toughness in a way that had never been explored IMO. Brad was not known to have pretty strokes...in fact they were downright ugly, but he knew how to win matches. Brad shares some of his secrets to winning in this book and I found his insights fascinating. One very memorable thing he did before any other player of this era was warm up 1hr before the match, which was not common during the Connors/McEnroe era. Now this is standard practice vs. a rarity. Inner Game of Tennis (Timothy Gallway) https://a.co/d/hnwIHGj Arguably the most famous tennis coaching book and a true tennis classic with lots of basic principles around both teaching & learning. Best takeaway is that students learn physical forms by mirroring & physical imitation. The book reminds to me try to talk less (show vs. tell), which is hard for me to do as an extrovert. Lots of sports greats have recommended this book, like Steve Kerr & Tom Brady. Short video synopsis here: Link to Youtube Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance (Angela Duckworth) https://a.co/d/107A6Lf This is a well known author & UPenn professor who writes about the determinants of success, particularly re: long term goals in young children's lives. Lots of interesting stories and research (spelling bees, inner city Chicago ... how some exceptional kids succeed in environments where most fail) I do think that we often don't develop this quality enough in our children. Tennis is an interesting space for our children because it's a hard road. Additionally, there is lots of competition. In my view, tennis helps in the development of true grit. Many of my Silicon Valley senior execs friends discuss the parallels between tennis & their work lives (failed deals, recovering from defeat, persistence). I love the idea that we are equipping our kids with tools for their futures via tennis (controlling our emotions at the right moments, recovering from failure/mistakes, post-match analysis, self-reflection, etc). https://youtu.be/H14bBuluwB8?t=15 Late to the Ball (Gerald Marzorati) https://a.co/d/c6VGm81 Gerald is a gifted writer (ex-New Yorker magazine editor) discusses his middle age journey from average to excellent and how he did it. I think his most interesting chapter: Longitudinal research on tennis greats & what makes them great. Re aging, he waxes philosophically about tennis and making useful intellectual connections to work, family & life. I like his observations about continuous improvement at any stage (of life). Playful Parenting (Lawrence Cohen) https://a.co/d/d9AV0iA Best takeaway: I use lessons learned here and apply it to "picking up balls", which most kids loathe. When you add competition and a game to a boring chore, it can make the mundane exciting and fun. Try it at home with a chore that you know your kids dread. It works wonders when you turn a chore into a game.
  • How do I contact you and set up a first session?
    Please mobile text me at (650) 260-4388‬.
  • What summer tennis camps do you recommend?
    Recreational / High School Level Tennis: Player Capital. My personal local favorite, run by Mike Jessup. His philosophy is smaller groups, but more high quality instruction. I sat in on 5 different local clinics and chose this one for my kids. Nike-Stanford. I prefer the Paul Goldstein weeks, but anything is better than nothing. Great for intermediate & high school players! Carmel Valley Tennis Camp. I like the vibe of this place, which is fun, but also international. Eva went here when she was 9-10. We have 2 high school girls team members attending during the 2024 summer - they enjoyed the vibe but said it is better for the 10- 14 age range. Higher Level Tennis (higher quality but higher cost): Weil Academy. My own kids go here. 'nuf said. Nadal Academy. We went to the 1 in Spain & loved it! It was not cheap though. Still I thought it was really worthwhile. Mouratoglou Academy. The Mercedes AMG class of tennis in Nice, FR (at least I didn't say Bentley). We went for a weekend, but the kids didn't come. They need to earn this one when they make their own money. Evert Academy. I hear a lot of great things re this place, but have not attended myself. Better than IMG Bollettieri because it isn't a factory, so I hear. IMG Academy. This is 1 of the most famous camps, based in Bradenton, FL, due to Nick Bollettieri, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, etc. I haven't heard amazing things about this camp through the tennis coach grapevine, but my son is going to try it out this summer. Will let you know.
  • What tennis social media should I follow?
    Here are some of my favorite tennis related social media influencers: Essential Tennis (no. 1 internet coach for non-pros) https://www.youtube.com/@EssentialTennis Patrick Mouratoglou (no. 1 professional tennis coach today) https://www.youtube.com/@patrickmouratoglou_official Winston Du (interesting match play analysis) https://www.youtube.com/@WinstonDu Top Tennis Training (technical analysis re pro tennis and amateur takeaways from Europe) https://www.youtube.com/@TopTennisTrainingOfficial/ Coffee Break Tennis (most well known/funny tennis podcast) https://www.youtube.com/@CoffeeBreakTennis Feel Tennis https://www.youtube.com/@feeltennis Some of my favorite tennis stars’ instagram accounts: Roger Federer (posts from his agency) https://www.instagram.com/rogerfederer/?hl=en Rafael Nadal (posts from his agency) https://www.instagram.com/rafaelnadal/?hl=en Stefanos Tsitsipas (authentic posts from player himself) https://www.instagram.com/stefanostsitsipas98/?hl=en Paula Badosa (girlfriend of above but interesting herself) https://www.instagram.com/paulabadosa/?hl=en Elina Svitolina (most entertaining from unedited self) https://www.instagram.com/elisvitolina/?hl=en Gael Monfils (hubbie of above and posts feels real) https://www.instagram.com/iamgaelmonfils/?hl=en
  • Where do you buy tennis gear?
    My personal view is that if you are a beginner or in the beginning phases of your tennis journey, it's best to go to a local pro shop! My favorite is Tennis Town and Country (https://www.paloaltotennisshop.com/) and the owner's name is Timi. Timi originally hails from Hungary and is super super knowledgeable about all things tennis (rackets, strings, grips, kids, shoes, etc). She is super friendly, helpful and exudes positive tennis energy. I consider myself an expert in equipment, but she actually knows even more than I do! (Oddly, a number of tennis pro shop do not since I am a little fanatical about tennis). After a 5 min conversation with Timi or Caden, you will understand why you should never order tennis equipment online again. (Plus, it is great training for your junior player to learn and ask questions themselves, which is an important tennis/social skill as well) I strongly recommend NOT buying tennis equipment online, esp if you are an inexperienced player or tennis parent. Developing a relationship with your local tennis shop can pay dividends for years.
  • How do I choose a tennis racket?
    If you are a beginner, I recommend that we discuss racket choices live so that you understand the factors involved in choosing a racket that is a good fit. I recommend that you don't go buy Roger Federer's racket since unless you play like him, it won't be a good fit for you. Some of the questions that we can discuss are below: (1). What is your tennis level? (2). How large is your hand so that we can properly fit you with a grip? For beginners, this is very important so let's discuss this together. (3). Do you have any injuries in your shoulder, arm or wrists? (4). What type of feel do you want in your racket? Some rackets are flexible and some are more stiff. Here are my general biases. I like Wilson, Babolat, Head and Yonex rackets myself. My daughter and son currently use a Wilson Blade v7 and I currently use a Head Extreme Tour. When I was younger, I used a Wilson Steam (no longer in production) and a Babolat Pure Control.
  • What tennis shoes do you like?
    My kids uses Asics Gel Resolutions and I use both Nike Air Vapor Pros 11 (https://www.nike.com/t/nikecourt-air-zoom-vapor-11-mens-hard-court-tennis-shoes-pG5rtb/DR6966-002) and some old school Nikes Cross Trainers (https://www.nike.com/a/what-are-cross-training-shoes), which are a reference to old school tennis stars John McEnroe & Andre Agassi. These pairs are to show off my old age....ok cooler Gen X vibe if you ask me. 😎 My favorite tennis shoe brands are Asics (high performance), Nike (good range of high to med performance models), Wilson (great value for money), K-Swiss, which have strong lateral support (side to side movement). 1 well known brand that I don't like for tennis shoes is Adidas (hate their sole and fit) or New Balance (too soft), which I don't personally find to have enough lateral support or adequate fit for me. I love OnCloud (Fed's current shoe). My wife bought me a pair for my b-day, but they are just too expensive for me to buy myself. Shoe fit is a very individual thing and you must try them on before sticking with one. I strongly suggest you go to a local tennis shop, such as http://tennistownandcountry.com/ to get fitted properly and understand the pros & cons of each shoe and how it relates to your own specific foot type.
  • What tennis strings should I use?
    When you or your child become more interested in tennis (either 2-3 years after starting), I think it's important to learn more about tennis strings, which the casual player doesn't think about much. Strings can be just as important as a racket. There are lots of different kinds of string, but currently, many juniors are using poly strings. My daughter uses the Yonex PolyTour Pro string and strings her rackets at 51 llbs. I use a natural gut / multi-filament hybrid (Babolat VS Natural Gut & Technifibre X1-Biphase), which is softer on the arm for middle aged folks. Sometimes, paying more is worth it to save your body. I string my racket at the midpoint of the recommended tension range at approx. 52 llbs. We string our rackets ourselves and have a Gamma X-ELS electric stringer at home. When you break over 24+ sets of string per year, it becomes worth it to own a stringer yourself.
bottom of page