What is a Hinge in the Golf Swing
Holding the hinge in your swing is holding the balance of power to your swing.
The hinge is the point where the wrist meets the thumb. If you gave a thumbs up to someone for a great shot that is the equivalent of holding the hinge in your golf swing.
The objective is to take that hinge back to impact and release it at the very last moment.
Most golfers tend to swing from elbows to hands. They rarely incorporate the chest and shoulders to their maximum use if at all. The result is that all the power they can effectively generate comes from the elbows down. If they are physically strong they still get pretty good distance. But if they are weaker they have virtually no power.
By turning the trail shoulder and arm back to the impact zone the trail arm stays close to the body with the trail elbow collapsed at the elbow and the hinge still facing skyward.
If you release the hinge too early the thumb is moving outward away from the body and the club will become parallel to the ground. Effectively, dramatic loss of power in the golf swing. This is known as CASTING
The tendency now is to try and direct the club face to the ball with your hands and forearms.
Put your trail elbow in your pants pocket (as Tiger does) with your forearm and palm facing the impact zone for better results.
The feeling is you are going to drive your fingers into the ground behind the ball. We never pull them to the target.