Heel-toe shifting

[No_6]

How? Not that I think I'll ever been pushing the car hard enough to warrant this, but I would like to learn the technique "just because."

[slngsht]

Even if you're not driving at the limit, it is just fun - and habit forming.



There are a couple of methods based on pedal configuration, but for me, what works best is braking with the ball of my foot, and rolling the outside of my foot to the throttle to tap it in order to rev match before slipping in the lower gear when downshifting.



There is a very good vid of a guy doing it. A video is better than a thousand words. I'll try to find it.



When done right, you will not feel any deceleration due to engine braking (nor any acceleration)... just a smooth transition as you downshift

[slngsht]

this vid shows the other technique, where you actually tap the gas with your heel



>http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6837150333096546791&q=heel+toe (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6837150333096546791&q=heel+toe)

[Catie]

I agree with slngsht. This is the way I've been doing it for many years. Maybe it could be called foot and ankle instead of heel and toe. http://www.usa7s.com/forum/smileys/biggrin5.gif  I do consider it very important to use the ball of your foot for the brake pedal to get good feel, and to be able to modulate. If you were to use your heel, you end up using the mass of your leg muscle to control the brake pedal, and it's just about impossible to properly modulate at the limits of adhesion.

[slngsht]

this is a one sec video, so don't blink. This is the style I'm most comfortable with. It really depends on the pedal configuration on the car too.



>http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?ei=UTF-8&p=heel+toe+shifting&b=1&oid=d99d226442336718&rurl=forums.vwvortex.com&vdone=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo.yahoo.com%2Fvideo%2Fsearc h%3Fei%3DUTF-8%26p%3Dheel%2Btoe%2Bshifting (http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?ei=UTF-8&p=heel+toe+shifting&b=1&oid=d99d226442336718&rurl=forums.vwvortex.com&vdone=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo.yahoo.com%2Fvideo%2Fsearc h%3Fei%3DUTF-8%26p%3Dheel%2Btoe%2Bshifting)

[Al Navarro]

At Skip Barber, my instructor gave me a good "swing thought" for heel-toe...it had to do with the position of your knee. This was more of the "roll the foot" way as opposed to the heel thing shown in that vid that Mazda posted.



The way I learned...to just brake, keep your right knee directly above the right foot. To tap the throttle under braking, roll knee to the right and the foot will generally follow.



BTW, in my experience, a lot of the success of heel toe-ing has to do with the pedal set up. In my old focus ZX3, it was really easy. Not so much in the TT. And the Seven...funny but I haven't tried it yet. Maybe I'm braking way too early?!

[Al Navarro]

Or perhaps it's because with the 6 speed cat gearbox, i do very little downshifting when entering corners?

[slngsht]

Maybe I'm braking way too early?!



Brakes in a seven are only used when you arrive at your destination http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/biggrin5.gif

[stevet]

I too tend to roll my foot - maybe a function of size 12 feet (see Al's
footwear thread). I originally learned it from a friend who raced
vintage cars, most with no synchro so you had to double de-clutch on
downshifts. A good way to learn how to match revs. 

[No_6]

Thanks for the resources! Those videos help a lot.