Stop The GD Presses! Charles Barkley Seems To Have Fixed His Golf Swing!

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I never thought we would see the day where Charles Barkley could swing a golf club fluidly. But goddammit, he seems to be doing just that. And it all might be thanks to a major change in the way he holds the club.

You see, Barkley has spent years with an incurable hitch in his downswing. It was as if his brain shutoff for a few seconds, rebooted, and then allowed him to finish the swing. Truthfully, it is amazing he didn’t quit the game and take up fishing. Yips of this nature are not uncommon in golf, but most of us usually don’t experience yips with our full swing. We just blade and chunk chips or miss two foot putts until we’re brimming with undying rage.

For reference, here is what Charles Barkley’s golf swing has looked like for the last decade or so.


Rough stuff. A fine example of what the mental yips can do to a man.

Now, here is his golf swing from a few days ago. The most glaring difference, other than his ability to swing without a 12-second pause, is his grip. He is now holding the club using a cross-handed grip. And while the swing is far from perfect, it is also yip free. Which is nice.

While the cross-handed method is a very popular grip for putting, you rarely see anyone use it on full shots. However, when you suffer from debilitating yips like Barkley — in your full swing or otherwise — you do what it takes to rid yourself of that mental block. Hell, anyone who has had the yips of any kind will tell you it is far better to employ a method that works than to try to stay the course and continue to ride the struggle bus through golfer hell.

[H/T GolfWRX]