Annoying Playing Partner Talks to My Ball

[TourSpoon]

22 minutes ago, DeadMan said:

I tend to do this - talking to other people's balls. This thread is a good reminder that some people do not like it, and that I should probably tone it down. 

From a distance its probably fine. 🤣

[billchao]

1 hour ago, DaveP043 said:

He used to live right of #14, you may have hit his old house once .

Only once? It must have been too close to the course.

[mcanadiens]

7 hours ago, DaveP043 said:

Honestly, commentary doesn't bother me, as long as its accurate.  I used to play with a guy who was unfailingly positive, even on the worst shots.  "Great shot" he'd say on a ball clearly headed 50 yards right of the target, "You killed that one" for a drive that had the trajectory of a lofted sand wedge.  I never figured out if he was blind and couldn't see how bad some of those shots were, or if he was intentionally trying to irritate us.   At one point I did get a little fed up, and after one of those comments I quite loudly replied "Shut the F--- up, its in the middle of the F---ing water."  That helped for a bit, but wasn't a permanent solution.  He doesn't play with our group anymore, but not because of this, he simply moved away.

That's a peach hon!

[Zippo]

I try to be positive but sometimes you just have to pretend you were looking the other way and didn't see his ball fly 20 feet into the water.

[DoubleAce]

On 4/10/2022 at 10:54 AM, billchao said:

I’m assuming he’s a friend, right? You just deal with it.

This. And use it as an opportunity to avoid letting people get in your head. 

[Double Mocha Man]

6 hours ago, ChetlovesMer said:

Talk to my golf ball... no problem.

I only get worried when my golf ball talks back.

I once produced a TV commercial for a golf course with an animated talking golf ball.  The ball loved it when he went racing down a slick, fast green... like a kid on a fast sledding track.  Though he wasn't too happy when he realized he'd gone 8 feet by the hole.

 

[ChetlovesMer]

1 minute ago, Double Mocha Man said:

I only get worried when my golf ball talks back.

I once produced a TV commercial for a golf course with an animated talking golf ball.  The ball loved it when he went racing down a slick, fast green... like a kid on a fast sledding track.  Though he wasn't too happy when he realized he'd gone 8 feet by the hole.

 

Can I catch the commercial on YouTube someplace? 
It sounds fun I'd like to see it. 

[Golfingdad]

On 4/10/2022 at 8:48 AM, DaveP043 said:

@Surgehigh, have we met on the golf course somewhere?  I apologize, but I'm unlikely to change any time soon.  I even try to talk @billchao's ball back on the golf course sometimes.

I’m guilty of this as well.  I’m working on it though. 🙂

[Double Mocha Man]

18 hours ago, ChetlovesMer said:

Can I catch the commercial on YouTube someplace? 
It sounds fun I'd like to see it. 

I no longer have access to the animated golf ball commercial.  But here's a commercial I produced for the same golf course.   But I warn you, it's not funny.  https://youtu.be/AQXSBp7O-pQ

[p1n9183]

It´s pretty easy... set your boundries with him, tell him that if he wants to play with you then he need to stop talking to your ball. If he persist doing it just tell him that you are no longer going to play with him. If he ask for a 2nd chance and again start to talk to the ball you know that he is not going to change so you are free to remove him from your playing partners list. 

If he really changes in the future and other players confirm that he is not longer talking to the ball of others you can gave him another chance after a few months.

Set a healthy boundary and make people respect it, it´s the only way to be respected by other people. And of course leave behind the people that don't respect your boundries. 
It´s not your job to tolerate other people, it´s their job to fix their annoying behavior.

[Double Mocha Man]

I prefer to take a more diplomatic approach.  Let the guy save face.  "Jake, I'm gonna start talking to your ball and you won't like the things I tell it to do."  Or, "Jake, my ball just had a meeting with me on the way to the tee and it said it can't perform with people talking to it."  You know, drop a hint or two.  Keep it lighthearted.  Guess it depends on how much you want to keep the relationship going.  Is the guy fine otherwise?

[TourSpoon]

1 hour ago, Double Mocha Man said:

I prefer to take a more diplomatic approach.  Let the guy save face.  "Jake, I'm gonna start talking to your ball and you won't like the things I tell it to do."  Or, "Jake, my ball just had a meeting with me on the way to the tee and it said it can't perform with people talking to it."  You know, drop a hint or two.  Keep it lighthearted.  Guess it depends on how much you want to keep the relationship going.  Is the guy fine otherwise?

Or today, you can only talk to my putts...after they are holed! 

I have to agree with you on this. It is not abnormal, it is just excessive or extra (as the kids say). Bill, you can only talk to my ball twice today, so choose wisely! 

[KMP]

On 4/11/2022 at 8:08 AM, GolfLug said:

We all talk to each other balls (pun intended) in our group. I realize it can get a bit annoying even if it is a well-intended 'come back!' to a deaf ball that we all know never took swimming lessons. I have tried to cut back on my own pointless drivel lately as I have found that have been doing it outside my group too out of habit.  

Was it a Wilson?

[GolfLug]

18 minutes ago, KMP said:

Was it a Wilson?

Wilson swam.. lol

[Big Lex]

Too much talking of any type, positive or negative, wears on my nerves after a while. With guys I play with often, we have learned when it's ok to make a joke, when we need to shut up, when we need to encourage, etc. In fact, one of my friends who can be absolutely acerbic with wisecracks also has an uncanny ability to say something uplifting when we all need it. 

There is one guy at a club I played at in the past who annoyed everyone he played with. He just could not stop chattering. I think what irritated people the most is he wouldn't listen if you spoke back to him. He was just interested in hearing himself speak. I am 100% sure these tendencies grew out of his profession in life (not golf, obviously; anyone want to guess what he did for a living?). 

The more serious I am about the round, the more likely I am to get annoyed by excess talking, or anything for that matter. 

 

[Double Mocha Man]

2 hours ago, Big Lex said:

There is one guy at a club I played at in the past who annoyed everyone he played with. He just could not stop chattering. I think what irritated people the most is he wouldn't listen if you spoke back to him. He was just interested in hearing himself speak. I am 100% sure these tendencies grew out of his profession in life (not golf, obviously; anyone want to guess what he did for a living?). 

Obviously he's a politician...

[Surgehigh]

Thanks again….you guys are great. First, I am going to keep a friend and a golf partner. Second, I saved a lot of money I would have spent on physiatrists sessions. Plus I had some good laughs. 

[Denny Bang Bang]

Saw this in the snack shop today… #1