What Do You Say?

[criley4way]

I have recently pissed off my weekend skins group and am not getting the invites.

I started playing with this group at the beginning of the summer. I wasn't playing particularly well. I drove it well but wasn't hitting good approach shots. And I had the yips.

I battled back from the yip, refocused on my contact and start line with the irons and made sure I was shifting my weight. As a result I went from shooting 78-82 to shooting 73-75 regularly. I also went from 1 birdie a round to 3-4. As a result I have been taking most of the pot during the fall.

Most of the guys I am playing with shoot low to mid-80s.

I am being told that  saying "good shot" on a fair to average shot is upsetting people. I say it almost reflexively kind of like responding thanks. Also they were upset when I played a provisional under the leaf rule and then fount the 1st ball on the other side of the fairway.

What do you say to your playing partners when they hit a decent shot? 

[dennyjones]

18 minutes ago, criley4way said:

I have recently pissed off my weekend skins group and am not getting the invites.

I started playing with this group at the beginning of the summer. I wasn't playing particularly well. I drove it well but wasn't hitting good approach shots. And I had the yips.

I battled back from the yip, refocused on my contact and start line with the irons and made sure I was shifting my weight. As a result I went from shooting 78-82 to shooting 73-75 regularly. I also went from 1 birdie a round to 3-4. As a result I have been taking most of the pot during the fall.

Most of the guys I am playing with shoot low to mid-80s.

I am being told that  saying "good shot" on a fair to average shot is upsetting people. I say it almost reflexively kind of like responding thanks. Also they were upset when I played a provisional under the leaf rule and then fount the 1st ball on the other side of the fairway.

What do you say to your playing partners when they hit a decent shot? 

I believe you really have to know your group.   When they hit an exceptional shot, I'll commend them otherwise, the most I'll say is OK.    Most of the time I'll not say anything.   I don't get upset when anyone says something about one of my shots but I could see people not liking the idea of someone congratulating them on an average or less than average shot. 

[criley4way]

1 minute ago, dennyjones said:

I believe you really have to know your group.   When they hit an exceptional shot, I'll commend them otherwise, the most I'll say is OK.    Most of the time I'll not say anything.   I don't get upset when anyone says something about one of my shots but I could see people not liking the idea of someone congratulating them on an average or less than average shot. 

Wouldn't be the first time I was wired differently.

[jmanbooyaa]

Not sure why I clicked yes, but I have golfed a few times with a friend of a friend who was very annoying and clueless with his nice shot comments. 
 

funniest time was when my buddy hit a crap shot, just awful and his bud as soon as he hit it said nice shot. 
 

He looked at him and asked if he has actually seen what a golf shot looked like. 

[Double Mocha Man]

2 hours ago, criley4way said:

What do you say to your playing partners when they hit a decent shot? 

I base my compliment on all the shots I've ever seen that guy hit and on what I know he's trying to do (i.e. working on his baby draw).   If he hits that shot well and it sounds good I try to give him an honest atta boy, commenting on the arc, movement and roll out or check up of the ball.  The best compliments are ones that comment correctly and enthusiastically on what just happened.  Then again, when Mark sinks the 60 footer (waaaay too often!) he gets the "You SOB" compliment.

[GolfLug]

I have by force of habit complimented above the quality of the shot little too often. Many times in these instances I have sensed annoyance. I guess it can come across as patronizing. I am learning less is better.

[iacas]

28 minutes ago, jmanbooyaa said:

Not sure why I clicked yes 

You can change your vote.

---

Anyway, this stuff used to bother me. More than it should.

Then I realized that someone was just trying to be nice, and they might not know what a "good shot" is for me if they don't know me very well.

Occasionally a long-time friend will say it, and if they were serious, sometimes I'll say something like "man, c'mon, you know that was just luck. I hit that three grooves thin" or something in a nice way.

But, I'm cautious with my compliments of the shots of others because I know that a good % of people do get upset. And I don't blame them, because like I said I used to, too.

[bkuehn1952]

When someone says something nice to me, I do my best to accept the compliment and say thanks.  Of course, there are a lot of times when I know the compliment is not really deserved.

[Patch]

I voted no. Never has. The swing is over, convrrsation has started. 

[HJJ003]

It doesn’t bother me. If anything it helps me keep perspective. Like man maybe I shouldn’t get so upset with my below average shots if there are people out there that would be happy with them.

[DennisMiller]

Not that my recent game could prove it, but I'm a somewhat better player than my usual playing partners. They tend to say, "Good shot", after what i think of as something not necessarily what i intended.

I think it comes down to everyone's standards.

[Double Mocha Man]

I listen for the "toe shot" when others are driving.  They usually look pretty good but don't travel that far.  So I'll usually say something to the effect that it was a good-looking shot but you hit it off the toe, didn't you?

[The Flush]

If I feel compelled to say anything, I usually just say that one didn't suck too bad, unless it really did and then I say nothing.  That covers everything from great to mediocre. Sometimes I even break out the ole "that'll play" if I need to change it up.

[Double Mocha Man]

Duck hook off a tree to the left, ricochet off a big rock, back into the fairway with a lot of roll.  I'll usually joke, "That's effective."  I think it was Ben Hogan who claimed he only hit 1 or 2 great shots per round... that a golfer wants to strive for "effective" shots.

Edited December 16, 2019 by Double Mocha Man

[DaveP043]

I voted "no", but that was in general.  Most times, I accept whatever reactions I get as well-intentioned.  That's even more true when playing with people of differing abilities, a better player's shots often look good, but he judges them pretty critically.  I get compliments on shots I'm not really happy with, and I know I compliment other player's shots when the player himself isn't too satisfied.  We all mean well when we do it.  As for my response to other people's shots, I try to actually watch, try to understand what they expect from themselves, and to find something positive (but truthful) to say.  Sometimes the best I can do is "Well that wasn't exactly the plan, was it?"

However, there ARE times when I get irritated.  Most often, its when I'm already irritated at myself, maybe I've hit a ball 30 yards into the trees, and if someone chimes in with a heartfelt-sounding "good shot" I might not respond as pleasantly as I'd like.  "Were you actually watching???"  Now if its a clearly sarcastic "nice shot", that's pretty likely to make me start laughing at myself.

[Darkfrog]

When I'm playing with friends, we all like to inject a bit of comedic sarcasm when they hit a crappy shot.

Drive sliced into oblivion: Over cut that one a bit, but don't worry, you'll find a bunch of Pro V1s over in those trees

Playing with strangers, I usually keep quiet, except when someone hits a truly excellent shot.

[Double Mocha Man]

I've always liked the comment, "Have you ever thought of taking up tennis?"

[The Flush]

Sometimes I will offer a mulligan to someone who hits a particularly effective shot.