AboutChris Lewis Expertise I can answer questions related to tennis development -- both junior and senior -- including advice on various approaches to coaching, training and competition. I can also offer advice on the technical, tactical, mental and physical aspects of your tennis game, from beginner level through to aspiring professional.
I am able to give you advice on your tennis equipment; e.g., how to choose a tennis racquet best suited for your game, what to consider when purchasing a pair of tennis shoes, or what types of strings are most appropriate for your stage of development or your level of play.
As a former professional player, I can also offer practical advice on anything related to tennis as a potential career.
Experience
Playing Experience:
Former tour professional (1975 - 1986)
Ranked number 1 junior player in the world (1975)
Wimbledon Finalist, 1983 (losing to John McEnroe)
Coached By:
Harry Hopman - Legendary Australian Coach with the best Davis Cup winning record in history.
Tony Roche - Former World number 2, and former coach of Ivan Lendl, Pat Rafter, & Roger Federer. Current coach of Lleyton Hewitt.
Coaching Experience:
Coach of Carl-Uwe Steeb (1989-90) - World number 14
Coach of Ivan Lendl (1991-93)
Coach/Manager of Auckland Tennis Inc's Junior Development Program (1997-2005), which produced players who won US Open Junior, Orange Bowl and Australian Open Junior titles
Currently coaching some of the US's most promising young junior players (at the Woodbridge Tennis Academy in Irvine, Southern California)
Administrative Experience:
Chairman of Tennis New Zealand's (TNZ) High Performance Board 2000-2002
TNZ board member 2000-2002.
Business Experience:
Owner of Tennis-Experts, the online tennis equipment specialists.
Publications:
Regular columnist for New Zealand Herald (Highest circulation New Zealand newspaper)
Expert: Chris Lewis Date: 5/13/2008 Subject: Taking a day off
Question I am a 12 year old tennis player. I am playing about 20-28 hours a week.
Everyone tells me that it is important to take a day off from tennis. But, I am
extremely commited to going pro, or at least college. I am a strong athlete and
have a small stretching and exercising program. Is it necessary to take a day off,
or more importantly, will i have better results with taking a day off or not?
Answer Hi Andrew,
Thank you for asking such an important question. When you're working as hard as you are, it's essential that you give yourself a day off. In no way will this slow up your progress or detract from your results. In fact, just the opposite.
Taking one day off each week gives both your mind and body a chance to recover and freshen up after six days of hard work. Not only does this have short term benefits (as I think you'll find yourself feeling stronger on the days immediately after you take a break), it will have long term benefits as well.
Becoming a top tennis player is a long term process. Two of the major considerations are protecting yourself from too much physical wear and tear when you are younger, which can lead to chronic injuries, and too much mental stress, which can lead to premature burnout. Having a relaxing day off each week is a good way to guard against either of these two unwanted occurrences.
On a related note, the next question to ask yourself is *when* should you take your day off? My recommendation is to schedule your day off on the same day each week, either immediately after a tournament (definitely not the day before) or at the end of a practice week. I also recommend that you do your most strenuous work on the days immediately after your break, and then taper off towards the end of the week.
Finally, congratulations for such a thoughtful and dedicated approach to your tennis and your career. I'm sure you have a bright future ahead of you. All the very, very best with it.
