Easy way to learn how to heel-toe??
- Thread starter Kabob
- Start date
exdeath
Lifer
- Jan 29, 2004
- 13,679
- 10
- 81
Just practice. Clutch in with toe/ball on brake, switch gears, stab throttle with heel, and match it so that you can let off the clutch with minimal slip, without jerking the car or accelerating the engine, and go back from brake to throttle after the change is complete so as not to let the engine RPM drop from what you just blipped it up to.
Rev matching on a downshift is easy, just blip the throttle before you let off the clutch. The only reason for heel toe shifting, is to be able to downshift with rev matching and braking simultaneously.
Being able to hear the engine helps, so turn off stereo and roll up the windows if you need to. Also comfortable shoes that aren't bulky and having your brake pedal at the same height with the accelerator makes it a whole lot easier. The hardest part is not changing pressure on the brake pedal when you stab the throttle with the same foot.
Rev matching on a downshift is easy, just blip the throttle before you let off the clutch. The only reason for heel toe shifting, is to be able to downshift with rev matching and braking simultaneously.
Being able to hear the engine helps, so turn off stereo and roll up the windows if you need to. Also comfortable shoes that aren't bulky and having your brake pedal at the same height with the accelerator makes it a whole lot easier. The hardest part is not changing pressure on the brake pedal when you stab the throttle with the same foot.
JulesMaximus
No Lifer
- Jul 3, 2003
- 74,544
- 924
- 126
the description "heel and toe" is not so accurate.... obviously you have less control if you use the heel of your foot... you should actually "roll" into the gas with the side of your foot... so in practice, if youve got a good pedal setup, your feet should be angled at like 10-20* off vertical
It takes a lot of practice to do it well. A lot. Make sure you have downshifting down pat before you move on to heel-toe. You can also start off by just braking with your foot slightly sideways so you're used to having your foot in that position. Then start just add the downshift.
My pedals are too close together to actually use my heel, but too far apart to straddle with the ball of my foot.
Read this, watch the two heel and toe videos found here, practice, practice, and practice.
My car has the gas pedal hinged to the floor (DBW), so regular heel-and-toe is pretty much impossible. I can only do it with the left & right sides of my foot, but that works fine.
It took me way too long to figure it out myself, but the results are well worth it. There just isn't a better way to downshift for a turn onto a side street than to heel-toe it. It's very satisfying.
My car has the gas pedal hinged to the floor (DBW), so regular heel-and-toe is pretty much impossible. I can only do it with the left & right sides of my foot, but that works fine.
It took me way too long to figure it out myself, but the results are well worth it. There just isn't a better way to downshift for a turn onto a side street than to heel-toe it. It's very satisfying.
alkemyst
No Lifer
- Feb 13, 2001
- 83,769
- 19
- 81
Actually heel and toe is dead on. It's not something you do on the street normally so many think it's the roll motion.
Your pedals have to be right for it to work first.
Then all you have to do is practice.
OP, what are you trying to accomplish though?
Some confuse heel and toe with double clutching.
I love these smartass, unhelpful answers..
Anyone can push the brake pedal and accelerator with one foot.. Trying to modulate the pressures on both of them at the same time is alot more challenging.
DarkThinker
Platinum Member
- Mar 17, 2007
- 2,822
- 0
- 0
My humble opinion and someone correct me if I am wrong please, is that learning heel to toe to apply outside the race track is just so darn unnecessary.....I think the thing that would really come in handy for people with M/T on the streets is is rev matching techniques. And Also learning how to power shift (that one comes in handy quirt a few times when you are too lazy to drop that left foot on the clutch while knowing you are in proper RPM band)
I am sure I can Toe / Heel easily if I wanted to .....but it's useless to me.....me knowing how to rev match properly and how to power shift properly (but the second one is not as important to me as rev matching) is pretty much all that would be handy for me to know while on the road.
I am sure I can Toe / Heel easily if I wanted to .....but it's useless to me.....me knowing how to rev match properly and how to power shift properly (but the second one is not as important to me as rev matching) is pretty much all that would be handy for me to know while on the road.
Demo24
Diamond Member
- Aug 5, 2004
- 8,356
- 9
- 81
First it's helpful to get rev-match downshifting down. This will help you to estimate what kind of revs you'll need when you do the heel toe.
Otherwise your in luck! The WRX has nicely placed pedals so once you get use to doing that kind of movement it's pretty easy. It didn't take me too long to learn. I only use it now when driving hard, otherwise I just rev-match.
Otherwise your in luck! The WRX has nicely placed pedals so once you get use to doing that kind of movement it's pretty easy. It didn't take me too long to learn. I only use it now when driving hard, otherwise I just rev-match.
I stand by my post. Spending some driveway time helps get the feel of how to place your feet on the brake and the gas at the same time and what the movement is. That way he's not trying to figure everything out while driving at highway speeds or whatever.
It's kind of like doing drills when learning martial arts. Sure, you could watch a bruce lee movie then start a barfight with someone, but learning it and practicing/drilling the move helps you get a feel for it.
Wouldn't it be even better to practice in the driveway, but with the car running in neutral?
Then the brake pedal would feel normal and the engine would actually rev so you could tell how hard you're stabbing the gas.
That's what I did at least, while waiting at stoplights. People around me thought I was nuts, but it worked.
TRENDING THREADS
-
Discussion Zen 5 Speculation (EPYC Turin and Strix Point/Granite Ridge - Ryzen 9000)- Started by DisEnchantment
- Replies: 24K
-
Discussion Intel Meteor, Arrow, Lunar & Panther Lakes Discussion Threads
- Started by Tigerick
- Replies: 19K
-
-
-
Facebook
Twitter