Sergio Manenti, the fitness coach of top-ranked golfers.
For many of us golfers, winter is a time when golfing activities tend to come to a grinding halt. Although, the courses remain open throughout the coldest months of the year, the temperature does little to encourage us outside to play our favourite sport. And that’s without the current health epidemic too...
During the long, cold Sunday afternoons spent cosied-up in front of the fireplace, we often find ourselves wondering: “How can I use these weeks to improve my fitness ready for my return to the green in the spring?” We decided to pose this question to Sergio Manenti, one of the best personal trainers around and a major player for many top-level golfers. The ISEF graduate (School of Exercise and Sports Sciences at the University of Milan) has always been a sports enthusiast and got his first taste of the discipline at a young age when playing a video game. However, it was only in 2002 that the ball dropped (so to speak): his wife gave him a golf glove and he saw this as a sign of destiny, a sort of call to arms. He told us that he then spent the next two months hitting hundreds of balls a day on a nearby driving range. Two things stick out clearly from that period: the exhaustion yet also the satisfaction. He then began an intense and challenging training programme - comprising courses in Europe and the United States - and obtained a Level 3 TPI certification upon completion. Various professional experiences soon followed, such as working in specialist gyms and later becoming a fitness coach for the women's national amateur golf team in Italy, in addition to many top-level golfers.
SO SERGIO, CAN WE ACTUALLY CAPITALISE ON WINTER BY TRAINING AT HOME AND GETTING IN SHAPE READY FOR THOSE FIRST SPRING GAMES?
Of course you can! It is no coincidence that many golfers spend the autumn and winter months training specifically to fill in any gaps or work on aspects that are often neglected on the course.
HOW DO YOU ESTABLISH A TRAINING PLAN WITH YOUR CLIENTS?
First and foremost, I carry out a general assessment on the athlete; then, based on the objectives we set together, I plan the work to be done. I cover everything related to athletic preparation and movement; as far as the actual playing side is concerned, this is carried out on the green with an instructor.
WHAT ATHLETIC QUALITIES SHOULD WE FOCUS ON TO BECOME GOOD GOLFERS?
There are several. I establish specific workouts that focus on developing each of these qualities. As a general rule, I begin by correcting any body asymmetries; I then focus on flexibility and fluid motion, before moving on to improving stability, strength and finally, explosive power. For all the training to be effective, it must be worked in this exact order.
DO YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDED EXERCISES FOR US?
As I mentioned earlier, I normally carry out a complete general assessment of the individual before assigning any exercise. Therefore, I strongly urge any readers that do not possess the appropriate knowledge, not to improvise. Having said that, I would say that a good place to start is to stretch the posterior chain; this is an important aspect, so I certainly recommend any stretching exercises that involve the back muscles, the back of the legs and the buttocks. For example, start by slowly and gradually leaning forward to touch your toes; keep your knees bent at first and then over time, try to complete the stretch with your legs straight. You can do this one either sat on the floor or standing. I recommend proceeding with caution and stopping immediately if you feel any discomfort. Next, posture is extremely important. You need to work on the back muscles - e.g. using resistance bands or similar - to help open the shoulders and the chest. In order to improve stability, I also recommend training the core muscles (abdominals: rectus abdominis, oblique and transverse), in addition to the pelvic floor. Finally, the legs should be strengthened with squats, lunges and deadlifts. All of these bodyweight exercises can be performed safety at home with the help of some resistance bands.
WE KNOW THAT YOU CURRENTLY TEACH YOUR STUDENTS ONLINE. HAVE YOU HAD TO CHANGE YOUR APPROACH IN ANY WAY? WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS?
My passion drives me to optimise workouts in any context, be it in the gym or online. To be completely honest, I was already carrying out my lessons remotely before the current health epidemic, so I was already more or less prepared. I don’t mind it; I practically feel as though I’m there with my students. It allows me to more effectively manage workouts with classes of 8-9 people: by simply moving the camera around, I am able to correct each attendee and give them more individual attention. Not to mention that working online allows me to work with people from all over Italy and the world, without even leaving my home... I personally haven’t experienced any negative aspects. Furthermore, as I mentioned earlier, very little equipment is actually needed: since these are mostly bodyweight exercises - i.e. no weights or equipment are needed - athletes can train at home, instead of the gym, without making any significant changes to their workout.
IN GOLF, JUST LIKE MANY INDIVIDUAL SPORTS, THE “INNER GAME” - THE INNER DIALOGUE THAT TAKES PLACE INSIDE A PLAYER'S HEAD - IS FUNDAMENTALLY IMPORTANT. ARE THERE ANY EXERCISES TO HELP BOOST MENTAL STRENGTH, IN ADDITION TO PHYSICAL STRENGTH?
After having worked with athletes for many years now, I have begun to understand how their minds work. It is crucial to keep motivation high. Although this may be self-sustaining in team sports and each player will find their strength in the group, individual sports are very different. In fact, many golfers have a mental coach to help with this aspect. As for me, I always try to push my students to overcome small challenges and set weekly goals for them to achieve. In this way, each little win increases the players’ self-efficacy and self-esteem, and continually edges us that little bit closer towards the set goal.
IN RECENT MONTHS, MANY PERSONAL TRAINERS WHO, UNTIL A FEW MONTHS AGO, WORKED IN GYMS AND SPORTS CENTRES, FIND THEMSELVES IN A PRECARIOUS AND UNCERTAIN SITUATION. WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS MEANS FOR THE INDUSTRY?
It is certainly a difficult time for many, and this greatly saddens me. I have been relatively lucky as I work in a very specific niche and can fortunately also work online. I am by nature a very resilient person and therefore, I see the current situation as an opportunity: to try and ride the wave and adapt as best I can. My biggest priority at the moment is to keep my family's spirits high, and “touch wood”, I have so far been able to do this.
Towards the end of our chat, Sergio told us that a training session with a well-known Italian golfer was about to start in 5 minutes’ time... Matteo Manassero! The player made a triumphant return at September’s Toscana Alps Open, after several years without a win... and we are certain that his victory is in part due to Manenti, who has been working with Manassero for some time now. We congratulated Sergio on his work, thanked him for taking the time to talk to us and said our goodbyes. So there you have it golfers, you have no more excuses.Follow these tips during the winter months so you can return to the golf club in spring in fine fashion. Speaking of fashion... why not get there with the right outfit too? Check out the Chervò garments in our new store… why not take a peek whilst resting between one exercise and another?
