The off-season is a great time to brush up on your putting skills, and if you weren’t very happy with your close game this past year, it may be time to think about changing up your style. Nearly every disc golfer you meet has a very strong opinion on putting and will firmly stand by their own particular method, but that doesn’t mean that putting is a one size fits all situation.

Let’s take some time today to explore the elements of the hybrid putt. You may have called it a spoosh putt or simply referenced it as “the way (insert pro’s name here) putts,” but really it’s a combination of several popular putting styles such as spin and push. Who knows, you may find that it ends up being your preferred method too.

The Mechanics

As with most disc golf instruction, it can be helpful to read about how to perform a certain action rather than just watching someone do it, as it breaks down each individual step to consider. With a hybrid putt, you’re using a whole body movement rather than just your arm as a pendulum.

Essentially with this type of putt, your movement tends to begin in the legs. Try standing with your legs hip-width apart and knees slightly bent. Now straighten your legs with the intention of transitioning that momentum to your upper body. Easy enough, right? Your putter is released straight ahead of you rather than in a down to up arm motion and uses the energy from your legs to help it fly.

Most players like to hybrid putt from their chest, allowing for more spin and greater accuracy without having to rely on a lot of arm speed to propel their putter forward. You can vary your footing with a sploosh putt to find what’s most comfortable for you.

Why Use It?

You’ll hear very polarised answers to this question, but for many players, a spoosh putt offers the best of all worlds. You get immense amounts of accuracy and can feel confident that even if you do miss, your disc won’t be blowing dozens of feet past the basket. Some might say that the hybrid putt is the “golf shot” of putts, meaning that it offers the highest percentage of accuracy.

This style of putting can be used at a close range as well as at the circle’s edge and beyond. While other putting styles may require you to put more spin on the disc the farther away you are, a hybrid putt really relies on the momentum from your entire body. As you begin to get more comfortable with this method, you’ll see how your leg movements contribute to success from longer distances.

This winter, take some time to play around with the hybrid putt and see if it feels right for you. It’s not uncommon for even the top players in disc golf to change up their putting routines every once in a while, so why not experiment before the 2019 season starts? Tell us about your successes with spoosh putting in the comments below!