Yao Ming Joins Ranks of Those Frustrated by Little White Ball at Pro-Am in China (Video)

by Jen Slothower on Tue, Oct 23, 2012 at 11:16AM

Yao Ming was a hard worker when he played in the NBA, but really, how tough is it score when you're 7-foot-6?

While Yao enjoyed being able to just turn and plunk the ball into the basket in his sport of choice, he has found recreational athletics to be a bit more challenging now that he's retired.

Yao joined some celebrities at the Mission Hills World Celebrity Pro-Am golf tournament in Haikou, China, this past weekend and soon discovered the frustration that all athletes have at some point with the wonderful game of golf.

Yao looked like any aspiring golf player when he went to chip onto a green partway through his round, doing the classic hack-at-the-grass-behind-the-ball before finally executing a fine pitch — only to see the ball land well short of the green.

But, while Yao's swing wasn't quite as flawless as his footwork in the post may have been, he was not the celebrity most out of his element at the event by far. Michael Phelps, Minka Kelly, Adrian Brody and Ronaldo were among the big names who signed up for a weekend of golfing fun.

Check out a video below to see Yao's hard-fought approach.