Charles Barkley has been the laughing-stock of celebrity golf for a number of years.
The former NBA MVP is a massive golf fan, but his ridiculous-looking swing was something to behold whenever he took to a celebrity golf event.
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But according to his good friend Michael Jordan, Barkley used to be a very good golfer. That was until an instructor told him something that broke his golf swing forever.
Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc
What an instructor told Charles Barkley that broke his golf game
It might be surprising to learn that Barkley was once an exceptional golfer. According to Jordan, his handicap was in the double digits. That was until a single swing thought ruined his game.
Speaking on an episode of Oprah, Jordan said, “He’s sick. He’s got a sickness. He used to be really good. People don’t realize when they see him on TV, he used to shoot in the 70s.
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“And he went to this instructor, and the instructor said, ‘Make it seem like you’re stopping up top, so you get your tempo.’
“He hasn’t started since. Have you seen his swing? Don’t put it on TV. It’s sad.”
Barkley, always ready for some self-deprecation, didn’t hide from the truth. He replied, “I got a problem, Oprah. I got a problem with my swing. I developed the yips, a nervous twitch. I went from being a good player, and now I got problems. So he refuses to play with me anymore.”
But in recent years, Barkley has managed to rebuild some of his golfing form!
How Phil Mickelson helped rebuild Charles Barkley’s golf swing
All it took was one piece of advice to break Barkley’s swing, but it took a six-time major winner, Phil Mickelson, to rebuild it.
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The pair played in The Match in 2020, and Mickelson focused on three things to help Barkley recover from the yips.
Firstly, Mickelson acted as a caddie, flooding Barkley with data to distract him from his own swing thoughts. Mickelson kept Barkley’s mind busy on external variables rather than the mechanics of his swing.
Because Barkley was playing from tees 50 yards ahead of Mickelson, the pro told the NBA superstar to hit irons off the tee. This really helped Barkley with his course management.
And the third fix to Barkley’s swing: Mickelson lied to him. On one hole, Mickelson told Barkley he had 70 yards to the pin when it was actually 55. This ensured Barkley would swing aggressively and clear the front bunkers, favoring a long miss over a short one.
Barkley’s issues were mainly mental, and Mickelson found a way into his head for them to win the match.
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