ARE PRIVATE SKI LESSONS OR GROUPS
THE BEST SOLUTION IN VERBIER?

This is a real dilemma for a lot of skiers.

Should I get a lesson?

Should I get a group lesson or a private lesson?

Are private lessons worth the extra money?

Naturally, it comes down to personal choice, but there are a few key points to think about if you’re considering booking private ski lessons in Verbier.

THE COST

This might seem obvious… but it’s not as simple as working out that private ski lessons are more expensive than group ski lessons.

The real question is about the balance between the cost and the benefit.

By that we simply mean “what do you get for your money?”.

Fundamentally a group ski lesson is cheaper.

But it also means you are sharing the instructor with a number of other skiers.

Whereas if you get a private ski instructor, they are yours and yours alone.

That means every moment of the lesson is focussed on you and your skiing.

So if we say (hypothetically) that a week of group lessons costs the same as one private lesson, which one would give you the most more face-to-face time with the instructor?

Because that on-on-one feedback and communication is where you learn and become a better skier.

THE STRUCTURE OF A SKI LESSON

This is a really key difference.

When you enter a group environment the ski instructor will have a plan that will benefit the group.

That plan is by definition not tailored to you, it’s going to be something that everyone in the group should get something out of.

Whereas in a private lesson everything – from the word go – will be built around your skiing, the changes you want to make and the technical changes that will help you get there.

Your coach will be solely focussed on you and the way you ski – not having to worry about keeping everyone in the group happy.

THE SKI INSTRUCTOR

Chemistry is a massive factor in learning of any type.

So it’s vital for any instructor in a private ski lesson setting to develop that.

Personalising the way they communicate to match the way the skier learns.

Experience, training and qualifications are a massive part of an instructor being able to do this.

Naturally, there are great instructors running group products.

But they will be trying to develop chemistry with the enter group, and by virtue of the number of people that personal chemistry will take longer to develop when the attention of the instructor is shared out across a number of skiers.

(Another theory is that a really good instructor will constantly get snapped up for private lessons precisely because of that ability to develop chemistry – so they won’t end up teaching the group lessons anyway…).

DOES ALL THIS APPLY TO KIDS LESSONS TOO?

It does for the large part.

Naturally every child is different and a group environment can sometimes be a catalyst for change.

We see a lot of younger skiers benefitting from taking a private lesson with one or two friends to create a small group.

That way the dynamic is already there and they can get the balance between fun and personal feedback.

We also often see that kids benefit from a private lesson or two to get them started with personalised coaching, then they can join a group lesson later in the week feeling confident and strong on their skis.

SO, WHAT’S THE ANSWER?

Well, there is no single definitive ‘answer’.

It’s a personal choice based on that balance between cost and benefit.

As a ski school that only runs private lessons it would be easy for us to say “private lessons are best”.

But they aren’t always.

For us, as ski instructors, it’s about asking what will get the best results.

And private coaching is far more likely to deliver better changes than group lessons. Not always, but the vast majority of the time.

We know that group lessons can offer a huge amount of value and some people simply love the communal feel of skiing with a new group of people.

It’s down to your objectives, your budget and your own personal preference.

And please note, in no away are we trying to disparage group lessons. Just to look at it pragmatically.

In simple terms if you want to get better faster, or have someone on hand to help you have the day that you want, then go for private lessons.

If you want to keep control of your finances and perhaps want to ski with new people, then groups lessons are a good option – just don’t expect the improvement to be as fast and significant as it would be in a private ski lesson.