Most modern drivers use the 9-and-3 steering position and a hand over hand technique when more steering angle is required. This is a great technique and has gained popularity for a number of good reasons, but the old-school “shuffling the wheel” technique perhaps shouldn’t be fully discounted.
Shuffling the wheel is simply the method of keeping your hands relatively at 9 and 3, and passing the steering wheel between them to accomplish large steering inputs. While this is not the recommended technique for high speed driving, it accomplishes one very valuable thing: the driver keeps both hands on the wheel in a good position 100% of the time, which is hugely useful for maintaining positive control of the vehicle in less-than-perfect scenarios.
This is the main reason that shuffling the wheel is taught for off-road driving, buy experts around the world and here at Team O’Neil. the driver always keeps both hands on the wheel as the vehicle travels over and through rough terrain and obstacles that exert strong side forces on the front tires.
It is the same reason that LEO and MIL drivers use the shuffling technique, to maintain solid control of the vehicle over potentially rough terrain and small collisions with obstacles and other vehicles during offensive driving and pursuit scenarios.
An added benefit of shuffling the wheel is that the driver’s hands and arms stay away from the path of a potential airbag deployment should they get into an accident or other tactical / pursuit driving scenario.
