“This is my attempt at impersonating Charles Barkley.” With just that line, Tiger Woods gave golf fans a laugh they won’t forget—then proceeded to mimic Barkley’s signature swing: a start, an awkward pause, a mid-swing bend, and somehow… a finish. The swing became infamous, not for its power, but for how bizarre it looked. And let’s be honest—it was hard not to laugh. But here’s the twist: despite being on the receiving end of endless jokes, Barkley is now offering to help someone many wouldn’t expect. That someone? Rory McIlroy.
Yep, the 2x PGA champ. And if you’re thinking, Wait, didn’t Rory take a shot at Barkley not too long ago?—you’re right. Last December, during the Crypto.com Showdown, things got playful. Chuck casually asked McIlroy during TNT’s broadcast, “how much in a regular round do you eat?” And Rory didn’t hold back: “Not as much as you, Chuck.” But it was all in good humor, and clearly, Barkley wasn’t offended. In fact, he’s now extending a hand to McIlroy in the best way he knows how—by offering some golfing tips he can.
“That was so nerve wracking…” Barkley admitted on The Steam Room while talking about Rory’s recent Masters experience. “Imagine you’re the one trying to protect the lead,” Ernie Johnson chimed in, reminding everyone of McIlroy entering the final round with a two-shot lead over Bryson DeChambeau. That moment clearly stuck with Barkley, and he’s already got advice ready.
“When I see him, I was like, yo, man, on that 13th hole, you had to hit that. There’s a backstop over there… You got to hit it to the left of that pin. You cannot go to the right of that pin…” he said, genuinely wanting to help. Sarcasm or Chuck serious?
Jul 28, 2022; Bedminster, NJ, USA; Former NBA player Charles Barkley during the LIV Invitational Pro-Am at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports
Now, before anyone scoffs at the idea of Charles Barkley giving golf tips, let’s give the man his due. His swing used to be… well, a bit of a train wreck—jerky, paused, and unpredictable. As mentioned earlier, even Tiger Woods couldn’t resist taking a jab. All fun though. But Barkley didn’t just laugh it off. He got serious about improving. He trained with some of the best minds in the game—Hank Haney (Tiger’s former coach), Darren Clarke, Stan Utley. Slowly but surely, he chipped away at the awkwardness. And it’s not as if the 11x NBA All-Star had issues from the very beginning.
The time when Charles Barkley’s root cause of his bad form came to light
Barkley’s infamous hesitation mid-swing has puzzled fans for years. But believe it or not, the former Philadelphia 76ers star wasn’t always that guy with the choppy motion and awkward rhythm. In fact, when he first picked up golf, he was pretty decent. So what happened?
Turns out, too much advice can really mess with your game, especially when you’re already a pro athlete used to relying on instinct. Former NBA star Austin Carr once opened up about this on the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show, sharing a surprising detail from his past rounds with Chuck.
“I used to play with Charles years ago and he didn’t swing like that. Somebody got into his head with that hesitation move,” Carr revealed. And if you’re wondering whether that stutter in his swing hurts, Carr didn’t hold back: “I bet you his back kills him when he finished playing that because you can’t stop your momentum like that consistently and not hurt yourself.”
Well, Chuck might be serious of golf at times, but the moves aren’t. But do not complain. It is these moments that lighten the court’s burden.
Even sports anchor Jay Crawford chimed in with a firsthand memory. At one of Michael Jordan’s golf events in the Bahamas, he asked Barkley what caused the change. Barkley’s answer? “Took lessons,” he said bluntly. “I used to have a pretty smooth swing. It’s when I got voices in my head.”
Clearly, Charles Barkley knows what the right and limited advice can do for an athlete. And that’s what the NBA legend wants to do for Rory McIlroy. Point out the exact area where the 2x PGA champ could work upon.
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