At GOLF’s Top 100 Teacher Summit held at Cabot Citrus Farm, one of the questions we often ask instructors in the field is: What’s the one shot every player should learn to hit that will make them a better player?
Responses vary by teacher, but many have chosen to learn reliable, repeatable, go-to shots around the green. And the golf teachers who watch Heather Angell are no exception.
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hybrid
“Hybrid putts are one of my favorites,” she said. “It depends on the type of course you play, but if it’s a course that has a lot of collection areas around the greens, a hybrid is a great club to use because often the grass is a little too hairy to putt, especially if you’re a few feet away from the green.”
Hybrids have a significant loft angle that putters don’t have, allowing them to move the ball across the grass with a relatively small swing motion.
Tight lies are also great for using hybrids, according to Angell. Because instead of potentially blading the ball with an iron, a hybrid gives you a smoother roll.
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How can you become more proficient at hybridizing around the green? For maximum control, lower the club to the bottom of your grip, says Angell. Next, make a putting style stroke. It’s really simple.
“I teach that shot in clinic all the time,” Angel says. “This shot is a great shot to learn and use around the greens because you can send the ball so high in the air that it carries the shaggy grass, but without losing that control.”
If you’re trying to break 100 or 90, minimizing mistakes around the greens is one of the quickest ways to lower your score. Making greenside hybrid shots more friendly is one way to do that. Try Angell’s advice and watch your score start to drop in 2026.
The post Why learning how to “putt” with a hybrid will make you a better player appeared first on Golf.
