Before becoming a well-known NBA analyst alongside Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley had already built a successful basketball career. He was a standout player at Auburn and played for three NBA teams, earning the league MVP title in the 1992-93 season. His contributions to the game earned him a spot on the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.
However, Barkley’s experience with golf has been far less smooth. In a 2016 conversation with then-Alabama football coach Nick Saban, he admitted his frustrations with the sport, joking that the best parts of golf were “drinking and smoking.” Barkley’s struggles stemmed from overtraining after taking too many lessons, his swing regressed significantly. Golf coach Stan Utley even called it one of the worst swings he had ever worked with.
Despite Barkley’s frustrations, Saban believed he had the potential to improve. He told Barkley that with his athletic ability, he could become a solid golfer if he committed to fixing his game. The comment stuck with Barkley, who humorously responded that if Saban could help him improve, he would build a statue of the coach outside his house in Arizona.
Barkley’s golf struggles were due in part to the complexity of the sport, which requires both mental and physical precision. His swing, which featured an awkward hitch and full-body movements, became the subject of widespread criticism. Golf coach Milo Lines once described it as “unfixable,” noting that the pressure of high-profile events only made things worse.
Despite these challenges, Barkley eventually overcame his struggles and now enjoys playing golf. His journey reflects the difficulty of mastering the sport, even for elite athletes, but also the possibility of improvement with persistence.
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