For most of us three hundred and twenty meters represent an engaging par 4 to make in two shots, for Emanuele Canonica they "only" mean that he got a good drive.
For what concerns power and length he has nothing to envy marvels like Tiger Woods or John Daly, who in the Unites States draw huge crowds inciting debates on the opportunities of modifying the courses' designs in order not to be embarrassed by their immense drives. "His long game is 20% superior to most of the players of the Tour", says Giorgio Bordoni, his trainer, commenting for us the photographic sequence that reveals the secret of Peppo's (as he is called by his friends) incredible power.
Thanks to the gym he practices and to his natural agility , he is able to give the ball such a powerful hit that allows him to throw it as far as many meters, making Canonica's swing impossible to achieve by a medium amateur and by most of the players of the Tour. There are many anecdotes on the lengths he achieves, from Sam Torrance's bets with the caddie at the Italian Open regarding the club Peppo would have played with as second on the par 5, to his partners' recommendations "not to force" in order not to leave them far behind.
Sometimes though, what actually should be considered as an advantage, turns against you and this is what Peppo is trying to fight: "I don't want to be conditioned by the length", he says, "people have to remember me as someone who shoots long shots but whom also plays good."
Bordoni has followed him for several months and is very enthusiastic of the progress made by his pupil, even though he insists to keep on working on the short shots in order to reach the real goal, winning the Tour, since the minimum goal , to remain in the first 80 in the Order of merit, has been practically reached.