Charles Barkley is making a strong case for being the most entertaining athlete of all time. He's given the sports world on-the-court, off-the-court antics, mixed with an electric chemistry alongside the NBA on TNT team, topped off with the occasional chuckle provided by those "Fave 5" commercials. Sir Charles has spawned the ultimate sports ego—superior athletic prowess (well, 50 lbs. ago), combined with a rare ability to connect with the public long after his prime. Oh, and supposedly the NBA legend has a political campaign in the works, despite past media controversy and gambling debts that make John Daly look cheap. But unlike most athletes, who maintain the ability to translate their skills from sport to sport (Dallas Cowboy's quarterback Tony Romo is a two-handicapper, for instance), Barkley is a Freddy Krueger nightmare on the links. This is relevant because Barkley was recently hacking it up and (hopefully, but not likely) avoiding disaster at the 19th annual American Century Golf Championship at Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Articulating Barkley's swing to someone who hasn't visually experienced it before is nearly impossible. The inexplicable three-second hesitation at the top of his takeaway gives the gallery just enough time to shake their heads in disgust—or laugh hysterically—before Barkley's Titleist presumably zips into a heavily-wooded area. You know that horribly repetitive dream where you're running from some entity and no matter how furiously you sprint it does no good? That's Barkley's swing. The bizarre pause at the top mocks him—and golfers everywhere—as if to say, "There's nothing you can do, Charles. I always win." This piece was originally intended to examine the mental aspect of the game, until it became apparent that the entire article could revolve around Barkley's golf course woes. The same woes he currently experiences are shared by golfers all over the world. The difference is that most of those golfers aren't world-class athletes and are accustomed to much lower expectations from their peers. Listen to the crowd's brief reaction in the above link. It's beyond embarrassing and way past humiliating to generate a response like that with one swing of a five-iron. Do these cruel spectators think Barkley is doing it on purpose? He's an entertaining dude who frequently basks in the spotlight—so this is all for show, right? Barkley suffers from a form of the yips, most commonly found in golfers who have played for more than 25 years. Nearly half of all serious golfers have suffered from the yips at one point or another, whether it be putting- or driving-related. An invisible detonator is planted inside the brain and proceeds to unleash its fury on the first tee or putting green, for instance. It's mental, not physical. Barkley has no problem stepping back from the ball and taking a few practice swings
Charles Barkley Balking: The NBA Legend's Unusually Entertaining Golf Game
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