Heel & toe downshifting :D

[mercutio]

I did have to adapt my style slightly from the technique used in the videos I watched. I found the pedals in the Lude were a bit far apart for the most popular technique of "ball of foot/side of foot" and had to use more of a toe/heel approach. Anybody else found this?

Yep. I heel and toe as part of my driving, I started for fun years ago but its just habit now really.
I found the same as you re the pedals, so it's very much actual 'heel and toe' - I swing my heel out about 45 degrees to blip the throttle.

this^^^

[Edd]

I just press the right hand side of the brake pedal so my foot is closer the the throttle

[nitin_s1]

I will give it a try. Any dibs on the car parts if it breaks?

[Supermarine Blues]

I did have to adapt my style slightly from the technique used in the videos I watched. I found the pedals in the Lude were a bit far apart for the most popular technique of "ball of foot/side of foot" and had to use more of a toe/heel approach. Anybody else found this?

Yep. I heel and toe as part of my driving, I started for fun years ago but its just habit now really.
I found the same as you re the pedals, so it's very much actual 'heel and toe' - I swing my heel out about 45 degrees to blip the throttle.

this^^^

^^^that^^^

I've done it ever since I had an X-1/9 with a crunchomesh on 3rd gear & it's habit. I double-declutch downchanges.

You have to vary the technique according to how rubbish the pedals are - a reason I despise most of the popular German cars; drivers' cars, my arse!

With the S2000 et al, the ergonomics are near-perfect; I can use the ball of my foot without raising the heel off the carpet at all, but the 'Lude I have to do a slight 'Ski stop' for the big kick to get into second cleanly at revs. The GT86 is more like the 'Lude because the brake pedal is slightly too high. Not quite as near-perfect.

Certainly, it's the correct way to use a manual box. It is tricky to master and thus I shan't throw stones at those with slushbox 'Ludes. With many drivers, I believe automatics should be compulsory!

[macky_6]

Looks like the same as me then with most guys, my heel rotating round about 45 deg

@ Nitin: obviously you don't have to change gear like that. If you are approaching a bend at speed, and change down a gear, you will find that the car lurches, sometimes quite badly. This makes it unstable, and also puts a lot of pressure on the clutch. Blipping the throttle smoothes out this process


I will say that it is quite tricky to learn and only last week I was cursing that I thought I might never get to grips with it. But once I found that the pedals weren't really set up for rolling the foot, and I changed to rotating my heel round, I picked it up pretty well.

Not sure if my size 11 feet were a help or a hindrance?

Double-declutching: I did try this and found it pretty easy, but was concerned that it took a relatively long time to make the gear change. Maybe my technique wasn't quick enough?

What are the advantages/situations that you might use double de-clutching as opposed to heel & toe?

[A1ex]

I have no idea how to heel toe, but now I want to find out!

I double de clutch quite a bit tho, not so much when driving hard more when cruising around. Like rolling up to a round about, rather than breaking just drop it a gear and use the engine to slow the car. Slips in nice and smooth when you get it right. Apparently, if you get it perfect you don't need to even use the clutch (don't know how true that is tho and dont wana risk my box trying)

[jjmartin349571]

I have no idea how to heel toe, but now I want to find out!

I double de clutch quite a bit tho, not so much when driving hard more when cruising around. Like rolling up to a round about, rather than breaking just drop it a gear and use the engine to slow the car. Slips in nice and smooth when you get it right. Apparently, if you get it perfect you don't need to even use the clutch (don't know how true that is tho and dont wana risk my box trying)

What's double clutching? On my Golf I had to press the clutch twice to get fifth, is that it or am I being retarded

On the subject of the golf, I could shift up through the first four gears without the clutch it's hard to explain but you just stick it in gear when it feels 'right' couldn't shift down though, I could get out of gear but couldn't engage a lower gear, just got lots of grinding/squealing

[macky_6]

I have no idea how to heel toe, but now I want to find out!

Similar to double de-clutching

Process:

Depress clutch
Blip throttle
Make gear change
Lift clutch

Simples

[macky_6]

What's double clutching?

Process:

Depress clutch
Shift into neutral
Lift clutch
Blip throttle
Depress clutch
Shift into gear
Lift clutch

Simpler than it sounds

[Edd]

I have no idea how to heel toe, but now I want to find out!

Similar to double de-clutching

Process:

Depress clutch
Blip throttle
Lift clutch

Simples

Whilst applying pressure to the brake pedal to slow down.
It is totally awesome when you start getting it right, and totally addictive.