  Precession is a unique motion in which the orientation of the rotational axis
of a rotating body is not fixed but moving, and it generally exists in the
Universe from giant stars through tiny atomic nuclei. In principle, the
precession of an atomic nuclide can be approximately described as wobbling
motion, arising from the coupling of a rotation and a harmonic vibration.
Recently, a number of wobbling bands were reported at low spin, which violate
the wobbling approximation that can be valid only at high spin. Here we explore
the nature of the reported low-spin wobbling bands. Via a new experiment, we
demonstrate that one such band in $^{187}$Au is generated by dominant
single-particle excitation rather than by the excitation of a wobbling phonon.
We point out that the imperfect research paradigm used previously would lead to
unreliable identification of low-spin wobbling bands. Consequently, new
experimental approaches should be developed to distinguish among the different
excitation mechanisms that can give rise to the observed low-spin bands in
odd-even nuclei.
