Working with Git day-to-day can feel like second nature—until you hit one of those moments where you wish you knew the right command.
After years of tripping over the same pain points, here’s a practical list of Git commands that act like superpowers.
1. git reflog – The Time Machine
Accidentally deleted a branch? Reset to the wrong commit? Reflog is your safety net.
git reflog
# Find your lost commit hash
git checkout -b recovery-branch <hash>git bisect– The Bug Hunter
You know something broke, but not when? Let Git binary search it for you.
git bisect start
git bisect bad HEAD
git bisect good <known-good-commit>
# Git guides you to the offending commitgit stash --include-untracked– The Context Switcher
Need to switch branches but don’t want to commit messy work?
git stash push -u -m "work in progress on feature X"
# Do work on another branch
git stash popgit cherry-pick– The Surgical Strike
Grab just the commit(s) you want from another branch.
git cherry-pick <commit-hash>
# Or for a range:
git cherry-pick <start-hash>^..<end-hash>git worktree– The Parallel Universe
Work on multiple branches at once in separate directories.
git worktree add ../feature-branch feature-branch
# Now you have two working directories for the same repogit clean– The Janitor
Clear out untracked files and directories. Perfect for cleaning up after switching branches.
git clean -fdgit shortlog– The Historian
Summarize commits by author or message. Useful for release notes or contributor stats.
git shortlog -sngit blame– The Detective
Find out who last touched a specific line of code.
git blame <file>git log --graph– The Storyteller
Get a clean, visual commit history.
git log --graph --oneline --decorate --allgit reset– The Undo Button
Rollback commits safely, either keeping or discarding changes.
# Keep changes staged
git reset --soft <commit>
# Discard changes completely
git reset --hard <commit>Honorable Mentions: Modern Alternatives
git switch -c new-branch→ friendlier thangit checkout -b- Why? Because
git switchis dedicated just to switching/creating branches, whilegit checkoutis overloaded (it can also reset files, detach HEAD, etc.). This makesswitchsafer, clearer, and easier to learn.
- Why? Because
git restore <file>→ safer way to discard changes- Why? Because
git restoreonly affects working directory changes, whilegit checkoutcould also switch branches or detachHEAD. This narrower scope makes it less error-prone for beginners.
- Why? Because
Wrapping Up
These aren’t obscure tricks — they’re practical tools that save time, frustration, and sometimes entire projects. Mastering them means fewer “oh no” moments and faster context switching.