eodjeff,
The process you are referring to is called 'reverse picking'. Recently learned the term myself. (Thanks, Femurat)

It can work, but is quite a bit trickier than normal picking. It can be used to overcome some styles of security pins. Used it myself to open an ASSA oval lock that used countermilling in the plug. It still took a lot of tries before I succeeded, but it did work on what, for me at least, is a difficult lock.
Yet another very good question about thinking outside the box, eojeff. Keep it up and practice, practice, practice, then I think you'll be a really good picker someday.
Gordon
Just when you finally think you have learned it all, that is when you learn that you don't know anything yet.