Flexible manipulator has been widely used because of its flexibility. In addition, the tendon-sheath mechanism has the advantages of compact structure and strong flexibility, and it can be used as the driving transmission mode of the flexible manipulator. However, the nonlinear and hysteretic characteristics of the tendon-sheath mechanism directly affect the motion accuracy of the manipulator. Firstly, the kinematic and static models of the flexible manipulator are analyzed considering the influence of multi section coupling. In addition, the mechanical transmission process of the tendon-sheath mechanism is analyzed. On this basis, a general feedforward compensation method for the flexible manipulator is established. The proposed model-based compensation control method can be applied to all flexible manipulators, and it is of great significance to promote the practical application of the manipulator.