You're Correct!

When you make your back swing, the height of the golf club increases. The club head starts on the ground and at the end of your back swing, it has become as high as your head height. The handle of the club begins the swing from around thigh height and at the end of your back swing it has become as high as your head.

The golf club as you swing back away from the golf ball becomes much higher than it started. This increase in height can be misinterpreted by many golfers with how to achieve it and these golfers get the club into position on their back swing by lifting it there with their arms. This is incorrect and if you are swinging the club correctly you should not feel like you are lifting the club up at all.

If you have a lifting feeling during your back swing then you are using your arms too much and this is not the most effective or efficient way to swing the golf club. Lifting the golf club into position means you are not rotating your upper body around your spine and the posture that you should have created in your address position. The golf swing is a very rotary movement when made correctly and it is this rotation in your upper body on your back swing that allows you to create power in your swing and hit the ball the maximum distance that you can.

Without this rotation in your back swing, you will not hit the ball as far as you could as you will not be using the longer muscles in your torso. Lifting the club into position only involves you using the muscles in your arms and so you will not hit the ball as far as if you turn your shoulders to get the club into position on your back swing.

The reason that the club moves into a higher position as you swing back is not due to any lifting action. It is because you tilt your spine forward to set your posture at address. If you now hold this spine angle and rotate your upper body around this, your arms move from a position where they are pointing downwards to a position where they are pointing upwards, purely through turning around your spine.

The correct feeling to have on your back swing is one of rotation in your upper body, not one of lifting.

If you lift the golf club up on your back swing, you will not hit the ball very far as you are not using the larger muscles of your torso with your arms, you are only using your arms. Lifting the golf club will also give you a very steep golf swing where the club head swings down towards the ball on a very steep angle, producing a lot of topped golf shots.

Lifting the golf club on your back swing results in you only using your arms, instead of using your body and arms, to move the golf club. As a result of lifting you do not engage as many muscles in the movement and you will not create as much power as you would if you rotated your upper body.

Lifting the golf club causes a very steep swing plane. The result of this is that the club head travels back down towards the golf ball from a higher position and on a very steep angle. This means that the club head will tend to strike the top of the golf ball and produce a lot of thin golf shots, that do not travel very high or very far.