Does anyone hover the club?

[Burg]

I've been battling an over-the-top pull that comes from my arms being too active in my swing. I think that I've finally found something that works. I'm "hovering" the club for all tee shots. By hovering I mean never soling the club before starting my swing. I think this is what Nicklaus and Norman did but I don't think many other golfers do. For me, it has made it easier to have a one-piece takeway with my shoulders doing the work. I've even started using it with irons and it appears to work there as well.

Does anyone else do this? If so, does it work for you as well?

[sonicblue]

I think it's just one of those things that is very player-specific. While I know the "supposed" advantage (i.e., your muscles don't "suddenly" go into action after "resting" the club on the ground), I think it either hits people right or it doesn't. Never felt good for me.

On a tangent note, I'm always amazed at how most swing tips really are just a "reminder" to try to achieve what is a very simple thing to describe and do, but we're always looking for some way to do it consistently. In your case, a one-piece takeaway is a simple thing, but we all try different little quirks just to remind our sometimes-stuborn brains to do it every time! To quote my friend: golf is a simple game, it's just not easy! That's my zen golf moment, I'm over it.......

[shortgame85]

I have hovered my driver at address for a couple of years. It works for me.

[finalrequiem]

I hover with my irons. When I take the club back, if I feel grass hit the back of the club I freak out and have to start over. Hovering keeps it from happening as much.

[thumper07]

i hover my driver now because i was hitting alot of shots off the heal. if you rest your driver and setup and move the head to where it would be at impact, the ball would be on the heel of the face. it has helped me alot.

-matt

[dayll]

I am Mr. Over-the-top himself! and like you I hold the clubhead back from the ball with irons and hybrids and above and back and as much as six inches with my driver. So doing seems to ward off my incessant over-the-top pulling of the ball. I have quit golf in the past over my inability to stop pulling shots. Lessons from several highly recommended pros, hours and hours of reading and practice, never helped. (for long) But that "hover and lag" thing is allowing me to play again and even hit some pretty decent and powerful shots now and again but most importantly - a minimum of pulled shots!

The other thing that has helped is to tell myself to turn my left shoulder "under" not "around" as I take the club back. dayll

[slackhouse]

i've gone back and forth. sometimes, if i'm conscious of the club hitting anything on the backswing i will. but sometimes it doesn't bother me. it is definitely a mental thing. i may have to start trying it again and see if i like it. i'll try it out at the range tomorrow and see how it works for me. thanks for reminding me of this.

[CG031]

When I want to "Sweep" the ball, it helps me get that feel. I do it every time on my drive, and fairway woods. With my irons though, I ground the club, because I like the feel of hitting the ground reminding me to "hit down" on the ball.

[J_Bone]

I was hitting behind the ball (fat shot) for a while and was getting frustrated. I noticed that when I addressed the ball, my left arm wasn't strait and aligned. So when I would try to make contact with the the ball, my arm would now straiten out and I would hit behind the ball.
So I started hovering my Irons and Drivers to keep my arm nice and strait and have been hitting them a lot better!! My Irons I only hover about an quarter of an inch and my driver the same. Just enough to have the weight of the club give me the proper alignment.

[lamebums]

I don't hover. When I do, for some god-unknown reason I'm prone to knocking the ball off the tee with my club at address. And, I'm a dead stick, too. I don't waggle. I don't get the point of waggling - it just knocks the ball off the tee and I have to re-tee.

[CG031]

I don't hover. When I do, for some god-unknown reason I'm prone to knocking the ball off the tee with my club at address. And, I'm a dead stick, too. I don't waggle. I don't get the point of waggling - it just knocks the ball off the tee and I have to re-tee.

Your supposed to waggle well away from the ball your not supposed to contact it or the tee - lol. But all in all, I'm not much of a "waggle" man myself.

[mjbartow]

Never felt natural to me, it just feels so -- untrustworthy.

[FutureSound]

I think hovering the club will help people to fix certain muscle memory issues that may be messing up their swing. Its very similar to something I do, I try to hook my shots b/c my natural swing and what my muscles know is a slice.

[Fourputt]

I always hover the driver, and most woods and hybrids. I don't generally hover my irons, although I probably ought to. When I have a bad lie in the rough, I hover to avoid accidentally moving the ball, and I usually make my best shots that way. I am also a good fairway bunker player, and that also requires that the club not be grounded.

The problem is that I like to use a slight forward press to initiate the stroke with my irons, and it is nearly impossible to press without grounding the club. I may have to work on it though, as really do tend to strike the ball better when I hover.

I don't get the point of waggling - it just knocks the ball off the tee and I have to re-tee.

I am a waggler. Not extreme, but while I'm getting my feet set and the ball positioned right, I waggle to keep my arms from tensing up. That is the point of waggling, it just keeps your hands and forearms loose. The longer you stand still over the ball, the more you tend to tighten up. The tighter you get the worse your swing will be. Players waggle just to keep relaxed.

[slackhouse]

That is the point of waggling, it just keeps your hands and forearms loose. The longer you stand still over the ball, the more you tend to tighten up. The tighter you get the worse your swing will be. Players waggle just to keep relaxed.

that is true. but, you also want to try to waggle the club in the path that it is going to go. many golfers use the waggle to relax and also to adjust themselves as they prepare for the path the club will take.

[Ben]

I've been battling an over-the-top pull that comes from my arms being too active in my swing. I think that I've finally found something that works. I'm "hovering" the club for all tee shots. By hovering I mean never soling the club before starting my swing. I think this is what Nicklaus and Norman did but I don't think many other golfers do. For me, it has made it easier to have a one-piece takeway with my shoulders doing the work. I've even started using it with irons and it appears to work there as well.

I remember, at least I think I remember, Nick Faldo saying he does that with the driver on Playing Lessons from the Pros.

I use the hover technique when I've been forced to stop a swing because I get caught on the way back. I also tend to hover when in the rough. And of course bunker shots, but that goes without saying.

[Leek]

I hover my driver. I'm not sure how long I've done it, but I'm sure it has been at least 2-3 years. I never made a decision to hover, it just seemed to happen. I am comfortable hovering, so I do it.

I do believe that hovering sort of mimics the height the club should be at impact, so my alignment should be better.

[Chris36]

Being a newbie to golf I'll try this.. Thanks for the tip