Pros commonly advocate the practice of “hovering” the driver head – holding it just off the ground — before starting the backswing. Jack Nicklaus is among the biggest proponents of this method.

What do you gain by doing this? Hovering the club:

• Relieves tension in the arms and helps maintain consistent grip pressure.
• Promotes a wide, smooth takeaway, a key to power.
• Positions the club for a shallow, sweeping strike.
• Prevents the driver from snagging on an old tee, tall grass or other impediment on the way back.

You might also try this technique with fairway wood or hybrid shots when using a tee. Be careful not to lift the club too far off the ground, though, as this can make the club’s path too shallow and the swing plane too flat (horizontal).

 While hovering the club on iron shots from the fairway isn’t widely recommended – it can lead to thin and topped misses – it is a good idea when your ball is perched on high grass, loose leaves or pinestraw. In these cases, grounding the club can disturb the lie and cause the ball to move, incurring a penalty stroke.