Tennis Pro Series | Meet Jean "Johnny" Martin

Johnny, thank you so much for this opportunity to get to know you better and about your involvement in tennis.

BACKGROUND

Where and when did you start playing tennis?

I was first exposed to tennis when I was about 12 years old at the Blackburn Tennis Club in Ottawa.

Fondest childhood memory which made you passionate about the sport.

It was my mother who introduced me to tennis and showed me just how much fun tennis could be. I was so excited - I could not wait for every opportunity to get out and hit tennis balls with her. My mother was incredibly supportive and showed me how tennis was a game for all ages. She continued to play tennis well into her 70s.

Mentors and how they inspired you.

Still in my teens I was hired to help the adult instructors at Blackburn Tennis Club. They showed me how rewarding teaching could be. As a result I wanted to become a Physical Education teacher while attending the University of Ottawa.

When Tony Roth established the Noble Tennis School in Ottawa, I was impressed by the values and qualities he brought to the teaching of young students. To become part of his program, I obtained my Club Pro 1 level certification. My first opportunity with Tony was to work with the high performance juniors as a hitting partner. Later I was running a weekly training / playing program for recreational youth (12 year-olds and up), as well as a very popular MATCH PLAY that I soon hope to introduce to ONEC.

THE GAME

What have you seen change the most in tennis during your life?

Obviously the biggest changes I have seen are the advances in equipment (racquets and strings) which have changed how tennis can be played, enabling stroke technique, strategies and shots to continue to evolve. Players such as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have redefined what it means to be committed to being the best you can be. Where in the past many top players would leave competitive tennis in their mid to late 20s, these two in particular continue to be at the top of their games, well into their late 30s, always prepared to learn new tactics, which include revisiting the “old” classic tactics of serve and volley. Also, they have redefined patience by not rushing, and waiting patiently for the ideal opportunity to be created before finishing points.

In general, players on the professional tour have become much more fit, and they are physically taller, stronger and faster.

Any recommendations for recreational players for improving their game?

To evolve your game, play against a variety of players and different styles. While in most cases it can be frustrating, playing against opponents that merely keep returning the ball with no pace will teach you to be patient and to persevere – the ball will keep coming back, so stay focused and in the moment!

When playing to win, don’t just try to overpower your opponent. Try varying the pace and variety of shots you give your opponent – mix it up.

Don’t be afraid to use drop-shots and lobs to move your opponent forward and back in the court. Most players prefer to just move side to side.

Tennis is a very mental game and it is important to focus on the ball. When you feel you are overwhelmed emotionally / mentally, take a deep breath to help you get back into the moment. A quick tip I use for myself to regain focus is to say to myself “bounce” / “hit” as both I and my opponent hit the ball.

When losing points, don’t overthink it - relax. In tennis, it is all about the next ball. What happened in the past is not important. Don’t give up too early – be persistent.

TIPS AND ADVICE

What advice do you have for parents of young players?

Having had the opportunity to work with young students I have seen how important it is for them to have their own tennis passion. I have seen a few instances where parents force / push their children to excel, though the children themselves have no desire to pursue this. In most cases this ends up being to nobody’s benefit.

In competition – should you play your best game, or force your opponent to play his worst?

Always play your best game – you might make your opponent play their worst. Always give your 100% and don’t worry too much about your opponent.

Competitive tournament tennis can at times bring out the worst in people – don’t be that person.

What should people focus on during warm-up and match preparation?

During warm-up try a bit a everything to see how your opponent reacts, which strokes are their “bread and butter”, which shots challenge them.

Remember that the shots your opponent gives you in warm-up are rarely the same during the match. Don’t put too much emphasis on predetermining tactics based on what your opponent is hitting – rather it is more important for you to warm-up your own strokes and see what is working for you that day.

Any advice on avoiding injury?

I highly recommend working on stretching and being fit through cross training / playing multiple sports. It is better to be fit and not try to use tennis as the only activity to try to get fit.

Listen to your body. If you feel an injury coming on, seek advice from knowledgeable people to make sure you are using equipment (racquet, strings and tension) that is appropriate for you physical capability and your skill level. Perhaps your technique is poor and needs tweaking.

Should children play multiple sports or dedicate themselves to one only?

I recommend that all people, not just children, play a variety of different sports and bring aspects of these to their tennis. There is nothing wrong with being creative in difficult situations – that seemingly impossible shot that has inspired you to take from a different sport may just happen to work for you when you are in trouble!

Any advice for people with disabilities / physical challenges on playing tennis?

Just do it!

I’ve had the privilege of seeing wheelchair athletes and others with physical challenges achieve very competent levels of tennis skills and gain a huge level of enjoyment. Tennis is a wonderful social sport that can be enjoyed by all for all levels of skill and age.

Best advice you have ever been given?

Three rules to remember when playing tennis:

1. Relax

2. Relax

3. Relax

(By the way, this is still a personal work in progress – I keep forgetting to do it!)

LIFE AS A PRO

Why should players take lessons?

Private lessons will help you get better – in fact I personally continue to stay current as a tennis professional by taking additional courses and lessons.

For newcomers – make sure that you make the effort to get out and hit the ball over and above just showing up for lessons. Be patient - tennis requires much practice and repetition to establish motor / muscle memory and consistency.

Best moment / worst moment teaching

As a tennis professional I continue to take refresher and advanced teaching courses, which enable me to stay up to date with the latest changes and improvements in tennis instruction.

What I enjoy most about teaching tennis is sharing my passion with people who are just learning to play. Currently I am running a three week - six lesson program for complete newcomers / beginner players. It gives me great pleasure seeing how during these sessions student with literally zero tennis knowledge rapidly advance to the point where they are not only hitting forehands and backhands, and can serve and volley, but they also have become familiar with tennis game rules and can have fun playing a “competitive” match.

So far, I have been fortunate to have had only good moments and I hope I never experience that “worst moment”. I know my limits and know when it is time to refer students to more qualified instructors for them to achieve the next high levels.

During my training as a tennis professional I witnessed firsthand how negative feedback can demotivate and prevent people from learning and advancing their tennis prowess. I keep myself focused to try to make sure that I do not make the same mistake with my student.

What is the most challenging thing about being a tennis pro?

Because of government imposed restrictions on sport activities due to COVID, it has been a challenging year to keep up with the demand for lessons, as golf and tennis have been the primary sports that could be played this summer. Since demand has exceeded the available time slots, and my difficulty in telling people “no”, this year I’ve been focused more on group lessons.

As COVID cases decline and access to other sports like soccer and hockey become allowed, I anticipate a drop-off in the demand for tennis lessons, though I hope positive experiences will provide retention, as tennis is truly a sport that can be played your entire life, across many generations. My plan for future years is to grow tennis at ONEC.

LAST WORDS

I continue to be inspired by people playing tennis well into their later years and refuse to grow old – it is truly a game for all ages! They demonstrate to me how important it is to never stop learning – who knows, your best game may perhaps be yet to come!

I really enjoy teaching and hope that my passion and enthusiasm rubs off on my student.

Keep a positive attitude – don’t take it all too seriously.

Most important – HAVE FUN!

Thank you so much Johnny, for this opportunity to get to know you a little better and your vision on Ottawa tennis.

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Jean (“Johnny”) Martin is a Certified Club Pro 1 and a member of the Tennis Professional Association. Previous to joining the ONEC instructor team, for 12 years Johnny taught at the Noble Tennis School, previously located at the now defunct Ottawa Athletic Club.

Johnny can be reached at:

johnnymartiniob@gmail.com (613) 878-9113

To learn more about the tennis programs at the Ottawa New Edinburgh Club, please visit:

www.onec.ca

www.onec.ca/tennis/lessons/

To register for any ONEC programs, please contact ONEC by email at info@onec.ca

or call (613) 746-8540