Your go-to thing to say when someone you're playing with hits a bad shot

What's your go-to thing to say when someone you're playing with hits a bad shot?

1) Nothing.

2) Try and find a silver lining ("stayed out of the water!", or "sounded good; can't believe it went over there").

3) Something vaguely empathetic ("aw man, that sucks")

4) Give 'em a swing tip (gasp!)

5) Start talking about something unrelated entirely

6) other

It depends on the person obviously. Sometimes the best thing to say is nothing, because it just may make them more mad, i mean most people know when they hit a bad shot

Sometimes, and usually this is the case with higher indexes, i might tell them that they made great contact after a poor result (sometimes with a higher index the contact might be great but direction not so great), so i will tell them their contact was awesome. I feel that is actually a good thing to say, because it's just the alignment that was the problem

I'm with June Allyson on this one ------ depends.

if its a close friend i say "good shot" so we laugh and it lightens his or her mood.

if its not a good friend i either say nothing or say something like...u suck....just kidding....i just might say, "No worries, you got the next one"

Chip and a putt

"nice to see all that practice is paying off" - only if it's someone I think can take a joke. A guy I used to play with was all about doling it out, but wasn't terribly good at the receiving end. He'd get a comment like this too.

I like anything that reinforces the basic truth that bad shots are part of golf.

Since I'm weird and cryptic, I go with: "Well, at least that shot provides indisputable evidence that we are, indeed, playing golf" or something along those lines.

I usually try to be positive if they're a new golfer or not a great player (just being honest) Cuz I don't wanna make them discouraged.. " at least you can find it" or " you can still make par".

now if it's one of my buddies that I play AGAINST who have been playing for years and they shank an iron or something. Yea I'm gonna give them a hard time.

Almost all of my rounds are with buddies so a truly crappy shot will often draw some great comments. We all know it will be our turn soon enough.

One buddy often will offer an incentive after a miserable drive. If someone pops one up 50 yards on a long hole he tells the poor schmuck that he'll buy him a drink or a candy bar if he makes a par. He has had to pay up several times as the player thus challenged will often concentrate on the task and forget the irritation of the bad shot.

I love Kisners line "Don't stop while you're hot" for leaving putts short.

Buddy of mine and I always say, "golf is fun."

That’s a good shot for you

When my buddy smother hooks the ball into the next fairway on a easy par 3

”BE AS GOOD AS YOU LOOK!!!”

I like to point out the reality of the situation. “That is big trouble. No green to work with from there, and look at that lie. You will never get it over the trees with the ball sitting like that. You will be lucky to make 6 from there.”

I immediately run over and try to counsel them, providing multiple swing tips supplemented by positive words or a short story from my youth. After this brief session of human reinforcement, I break them down telling them to practice more. After a time period, not exceeding 2 minutes, I build them up by mentioning Tiger's swing and that foreign guy's advice on the golf channel.

Actually, I say nothing.

I say nothing, unless its a good shot I'll give a simple "nice shot". I hate all this "get up, get down, spin, check, stop, go in" blah blah blah. I'll talk to my ball, but I wont talk to anyone elses ball, and I sure wish they wouldn't talk to my ball either, I don't need it getting any more confused lol

I try not to say anything........ once in a while I'll say "oops"

The worst moment in golf is the deafening, awkward silence that comes after a hotheaded golfer hits a terrible shot.

But some of the best moments in golf come when lighthearted, good-spirited golfers hit a terrible shot.

If it's a buddy and I know it's out of character I will usually say one of the following.

YuckNice shotThat a boyPossibly laugh a littleIf it's someone I don't know well I won't say anything, never know how people will react.

Way to keep it in the correct zip code.

I've seen ducks fly better than that.

The Earths rotational spin must of shifted right when you hit it.

The 19th is your friend.

Basically real inspirational stuff.

I need to know the character of the guy/gal. Joe Blowtop won't take kindly to anything. If it's Joe Casual, he might get a "it's safe". If they top one into a lake or something and say "really got a hold of that one!", I might reply with "So did the lake".

Never, EVER, EVER.. do I go with "You picked your head up" or something similar.

For people I don't know particularly well, I use a few.

I'm guessing that wasn't exactly the plan.

That's not your best.

Well, its still in play.

Its a good challenge from there.

I think those work for most situations, unless its a real hothead. Then, silence is the best thing. And of course with good friends, much more brutal descriptions are appropriate.

Great shot! does your wife play?

You dropped your purse.

Only play with the same two dudes. They are used to it.

One of the guys uses a chipper i remind all the time that it is an illegal club especially after a great shot with it. LOL

If I don't know them - usually nothing/ignore it

If it's one of my buddies - give them absolute h.ell

The folks I play with like to say "ripped it!" on a topped shot. Still cracks me up.

Sometimes when I shank one I say "Ravi Shankar". More like "RAVIIIIIIIIII............. Shankar." Kind of an inside joke. Or sing Come Back Baby by Jefferson Airplane when one is jetting off into the woods. I keep those for my own crappy shots though.

Most of the time, I will say 'nice layup'

I will say....if i know the guy pretty well and i know he won't murder me....

When he hits one REALLY bad, like off the planet bad. I might say "Oh yeah but it's OK over there" or "good angle from there though"

Sometimes this gets a laugh

One I use even if it someone I just met, "Well that's a shot I haven't hit yet.......today".

If it's someone I know, "yeah I didn't like that lie either."

Usually gets my glared at lol