"hinge and hold"

[LongballGer]

So is hinge and hold pretty much keeping your weight a little bit more on your front foot, then taking it back with the hands and then rotating your chest on the downswing?

[Dub]

I've only watched Phil's DVD once....but what I took from his version of the hinge and hold was the weight varied based on the desired shot, fast hinge of the wrists on the takeaway and (most importantly) the hands lead the club through and beyond impact....hands never stop moving.


I used this shot with my LW on Friday. Had a 20 yard shot over a bunker to a tight pin. I took a couple of practice strokes to engrain the feel of it. I did go with my weight on the left side.

Ball came in a tad lower and with authority and zipped to a very fast stop leaving an easy putt.

Gotta keep those hands moving!!!!

[TN94z]

Hinge and hold is basically just hinging the wrists quickly on the backswing and holding that position through impact.

[enis750]

no better way to chip IMO
as long as you commit and keep the hands moving forward, its a great tool

i also learned how to make those long mid trajectory chips hit and stick

great DVD to learn from - and really, is there a better short game player in the show?

[inthecup]

I watched the DVD a couple times and my short game obviously does not approach you fella's based on my handicap, BUT I am working on it.

What has been said is correct fast hinge of the hands to a back swing limited by desired distance. Then unhinge the hands as the arms come forward never letting the club head outpace the hands. So club extends out in a straight line from the arm and stays in that straight line as the hands continue to the target. So the hinge is a fast hinge of the club and the hold is keep the club from rotating past the hands.

With my handicap the thing that has helped me with more swings is "as the hands continue to the target" That applies to all chip pitch and putt strokes.

Phil plays everything off the inside of his front foot. He varies weight mostly on the lie. Tight lie even footing. Need to dig, front foot....

Playing off the inside of the front foot with a 60 degree wedge seems difficult to me you are in effect de-lofting a club with hardly any loft to begin with.

I hope that makes some sense.

[Travtex]

I need to sit down for a refresher viewing of Phil's vid. It's given me some pretty consistent lob shots... relative to the rest of my game, I usually WANT to need a short-side shot over a bunker. Heh.

On the downside, my golf buddy Disagrees with hinging one's wrists on chips. I had a oh-so-helpful "Don't break your wrists!!" shouted at me in my backswing last round and skulled one over the green. I think, "Don't call out tips in my backswing" better advice.

[inthecup]

  Travtex said:

I had a oh-so-helpful "Don't break your wrists!!" shouted at me in my backswing last round and skulled one over the green. I think, "Don't call out tips in my backswing" better advice.

Nice can never get enough help.

[jambalaya]

Been using it for several years on my pitch shots. I haven't read Phil's book but it sounds like a video I watched on pitch shots from where I learned the basic hinge and hold. What it did for me was give me more consistent contact and much higher pitch shots that won't run as much. On the video I watched the instructor emphasized there is no weight shift on the backswing. Keep the weight on front side, hinge and swing foreward turning the body and finishing with the chest facing the target. No big follow through with the club just swing through usually no more than waist high and hold the finish.

[Beachcomber]

Anyone still using the hinge and hold shots around the green? I've been implementing it into my short game and really like the results.

[saevel25]

I really don't do a hinge and hold, but i don't release much in my chips. I am not a fan of hinge and hold. I like Stan Utley's method of short game more than Phil's. But if it works, use it.

[Wingover718]

I liked Phil's video. I received my original chipping lesson from a life time PGA pro who engrained in me that the lowest lofted club suited for the job is often the correct club. So, I am a bit of a bump and run, low roller. I like Phil's thoughts of hinge and hold and try to feel it in practice swing for pitching into the green. When my pitching and chipping get weak, I can often correct by thinking of Phil's description of "an aggressive impact condition". When, I play down south or out west I play more aggressive chips as Phil describes in his video. But, with the heavy play here in New York City lower less cute shots around the heavily played greens appear to pay huge dividends.

[Mr. Desmond]

  saevel25 said:

Originally Posted by saevel25

I really don't do a hinge and hold, but i don't release much in my chips. I am not a fan of hinge and hold. I like Stan Utley's method of short game more than Phil's. But if it works, use it.

If I remember, even Stan does not let the club head pass the hands in the followthrough. Stan advocates a mini-swing with the club head not passing the hands.

[iacas]

  Mr. Desmond said:

Originally Posted by Mr. Desmond

If I remember, even Stan does not let the club head pass the hands in the followthrough. Stan advocates a mini-swing with the club head not passing the hands.

I could show photos with more "flipping" as well. Let's not confuse "feel" and "real" either - most shots will have a little forward shaft lean. It just won't feel like it.

[poser]

That photo is pitching not chipping though.

[iacas]

  poser said:

Originally Posted by poser

That photo is pitching not chipping though.

I realize that. I didn't think we were exclusively talking about chipping, and I was just responding to the comment I saw about Utley. Stan still advocates a little of this action in chipping. Here's his "chip" shot - the clubhead passes the hands (the left arm) in that motion relatively quickly as well:

And FWIW, I rarely use a pure "hinge and hold" shot (nor does Phil, really).

Stan Utley likes bounce. He uses it in virtually every short game shot he's got, which precludes having excessive forward shaft lean. In virtually every short game shot he plays, including putting, he wants the handle to move relatively little while the clubhead or putter head swings a lot more.

[Mr. Desmond]

Okay, my memory sucks.

It's been about 4 years since I read and practiced Utley.

I assume, since Utley is a mini-swing, that impact is still hands ahead of club head.

I did eventually spend a summer with Phil's "hinge and hold" and had my best short game - I think the "hold" keeps the club head ahead of ball and has you extending the right arm past impact - which, for me, made for more accurate chipping and pitching.

Of course, a variety of methods may work and I try to use them all - I've used the soft arms pitch with the club head passing the hands that Mike has posted on the forums; and that has proved valuable.

I still use Utley in the bunker to use the bounce, and the posts here with video that also advocate using the bounce in the bunkers.

Whether it's one method or a variety of tools, find what works for you.

Having said that, this is about hinge and hold -- and yes, it can work, although chipping with a completely open face is not something one normally uses, or recently see Phil use.

[The Tin Man]

I use a H & H pitch whenever possible over a chip.  The local muni doesn't  have a decent chipping practice area. I practice in the rough between the power lines so that's what I have to take onto the course.  A high soft landing.

[westcyderydin]

I use a hinge & holdish type of swing on most shots.  If i want to hit it higher i just make a mini-swing, if i want to hit it lower i keep my hands way forward, club a little back and use more of a putting stroke type of swing... That is my little secret shot right there...which is good off the fringe, the fairway, or a good lie in the rough...it gets pretty close...

The H & H is a good chipping method, just don't over do the hinge or the hold.  I like the idea of keeping things as similar as possible to your regular swing.  You just need to know how to control your trajectory, distance, and spin for the shot you are trying to hit.