What Is the Reverse Hinge Technique in Golf?

The reverse hinge is one of those golf terms you might hear whispered by low-handicappers, a seemingly advanced technique for shots around the green. It involves a specific wrist and club action that allows you to hit incredibly high, soft-landing shots that stop on a dime. This article will break down exactly what the reverse hinge technique is, when to use it, and provide a clear, step-by-step guide to help you add this creative shot to your arsenal and save strokes when you're in a tough spot.

What Exactly Is the Reverse Hinge Technique?

Let's clear this up first: The name "reverse hinge" is a little misleading. You're not actually bending your wrists backward in a way that feels unnatural or opposite to a normal hinge. Instead, the technique describes a specific sequence of unhinging and rehinging the wrists through impact, designed almost exclusively for high-tariff finesse shots like the flop shot.

In a standard pitch or chip shot, a golfer typically hinges their wrists on the backswing and tries to maintain that angle for as long as possible on the downswing, compressing the ball with forward shaft lean. This de-lofts the club and produces a lower, more controlled, and predictable shot.

The reverse hinge does the opposite. You are intentionally releasing the clubhead early and with speed. The goal is to allow the clubhead to pass the hands right at impact. This action adds dynamic loft and, most importantly, allows the bounce - the rounded sole of the wedge - to slide under the ball and across the turf without digging. Think of it less as a "hit" and more of a "glide" under the ball. The "reverse" sensation comes as your wrists subtly re-hinge after the club has made contact, a natural result of releasing the clubhead properly.

Players like Phil Mickelson have made a career out of mastering this type of shot. It's a high-skill, high-reward technique that, once learned, gives you an invaluable tool for getting out of trouble.

When Should You Use the Reverse Hinge?

This is not an everyday shot. Pulling this out at the wrong time can lead to a bladed nightmare over the green. But in the right situation, it's a genuine round-saver. You'll want to consider the reverse hinge technique when you are:

• Short-Sided: You have very little green to work with between you and the hole. A normal chip will run out too far, so getting the ball to stop quickly is the only option.
• Facing an Obstacle: You need to get the ball up high very quickly to carry a bunker, a patch of rough, or a sprinkler head that's between you and the pin.
• Hitting to a Fast or Downhill Green: The green is sloped away from you or is very firm. You need the ball to land like a parachute, with virtually no forward roll.
• In Fluffy Rough: A ball sitting up in thick grass is an ideal lie for the reverse hinge, as the wide sole can slide underneath without getting tangled up, sending the ball popping straight up.

Essentially, any time you need maximum height and minimum rollout, the reverse hinge flop shot should be on your mind. A regular chip is built for run, this shot is built to eliminate it.

A Step-by-Step Guide to the Reverse Hinge

Learning this shot requires practice and a willingness to feel a little awkward at first. The motion is different from your standard swing. But by following these steps, you can start building the right mechanics and confidence.

Step 1: The Setup - Building a Foundation for Height

Your setup is what primes the club to create a high, soft shot. Everything here is designed to add loft and engage the club's bounce.

• Stance: Take a narrow stance, about a clubhead-width inside your shoulders. Open your feet, lead hip, and shoulders so they are pointing well left of your target (for a right-handed golfer). This presets your body for rotation and helps you swing along your open body line.
• Ball Position: Place the ball forward in your stance, somewhere off the inside of your lead heel. This encourages you to make contact as the club is swinging slightly upwards.
• Clubface: Open it wide. Don't just turn your hands, rotate the clubface so that the leading edge is pointing well to the right of the target. A good check is to see the face pointing almost up to the sky. This is how you present the club's bounce to the ground.
• Hands and Shaft Position: Your hands should be in a neutral position, directly in line with the ball or even a fraction behind it. Avoid any forward press or shaft lean. Leaning the shaft forward takes loft off and engages the sharp leading edge, which is the enemy of this shot. Lowering your hands by gripping down can also provide more control.

Step 2: The Takeaway - Wide and Simple

Unlike a normal chip where you might set the wrists early, the backswing for a reverse hinge shot should feel wider and more connected.

Focus on turning your chest away from the target, letting your arms and the club move with your body as one piece. You want to feel like you're maintaining the loft on the open clubface throughout the backswing. The clubhead should trace a path that's more upright rather than getting pulled deep behind you. Your wrists will hinge naturally as your arms raise, but it shouldn't be an aggressive, early hinge. It's a soft, flowing motion.

Step 3: The Downswing and Impact - The Moment Of Release

This is it. This is the part that feels so different. Forget everything you've learned about hitting down on the ball and creating compression. Here, you're embracing a very different concept.

As you start the downswing, your core thought should be speed and release. Keep your body rotating towards the target, but allow your wrists to unhinge fully, accelerating the clubhead so that it can pass your hands just before impact. It’s like throwing a small bucket of water underhanded - that whipping motion is what you’re trying to replicate.

You are aiming for the sole (the bounce) of the club to thump the ground an inch or two behind the ball. Trust the club. A well-designed wedge with sufficient bounce will not dig, it will glide on the turf and pop the ball up into the air. Through impact, keep that clubface open and rotating to the sky. A common error is trying to "square up" the face at the last second, which will either produce a low rocket or a nasty hosel shank.

Step 4: The Finish – The Skyward Indication

Your follow-through is a great indicator of whether you have executed the shot correctly. It should be a relatively short, soft finish.

Due to the release action, the club shaft should finish more or less vertical or close to it, with the clubface pointing directly up at the sky. If you did it right, you should feel like you could easily balance a glass of water on the face at the finish. Your body will be still on your left foot and facing the target, the arms and the club having completed the reverse hinge.

Common Faults and Simple Drills

Mastering this shot takes repetition. Here are some common problems and drills to sort them out.

Common Fault #1: Decelerating
The fear of airmailing the green causes many players to slow the club down into impact. This is the number one killer of the reverse hinge shot, causing the leading edge to dig, resulting in a chunk or a blade.

• The Fix: You need speed. Trust that the enormous loft on the clubface will control the distance, not a lack of effort. Practice making full, committed swings. Make practice swings where you audibly hear the "swoosh" of the clubhead accelerating through the impact zone.

Common Fault #2: Using the Leading Edge Too Early
Hitting with a forward-leaning shaft might be your chipping habit. On a reverse hinge, that's instant fat shot fare.

• The Fix: Before every shot, position the club on its bounce and get comfortable with it. Practice swings with the only goal to make the "thump" sound as the bounce strikes the ground. You're training your brain and body to acknowledge a different kind of contact.

Common Fault #3: Closing the Clubface Through Impact
It's a natural tendency for many players to try to "roll" their wrists or hands to square the clubface, often leading to poor outcomes.

• The Fix: Use the Towel Drill: Place a towel a few feet in front of you on the green. Practice hitting shots that go up and over the towel and land softly. If you hit it low and too hard, you're not using enough loft or speed. This drill helps check your finish. Hold the finish and look at the clubface - is it pointing toward the sky? This one-handed drill is excellent for getting the feel, forcing you to release the head and use the bounce effectively.

Final Thoughts

The reverse hinge technique, at its heart, is a shot built on trust - trust in your wedge's design, trust in your loft and speed control, and trust in the intuitive feeling of letting the clubhead pass your hands through impact. While it may not be your go-to around the green, mastering this shot gives you an option in tough situations, turning what could be a double bogey into a respectable par.

As you work on this technique, feedback is everything. It can be hard to know if you're executing correctly or just guessing. If you're out practicing or even find yourself in that challenging, short-sided lie on the course, you need feedback from an expert you can trust. This is where modern tools can step in. I can tell you all day "what to do", but when you're there at the course, looking down at a ball nestled up against a bunker, that's where something like Caddie AI can become your most trusted playing partner. You could even snap a photo of your lie and get instant analysis on whether this shot is the right play, or if there's an easier, smarter option. It removes the uncertainty you'd feel and allows you to either commit to the advanced shot with confidence, or take the smarter route and avoid that blow-up hole.