Heel & Toe... are you any good???.....

ScoobieWRX · Post by **ScoobieWRX** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 4:32 pm

Are there any Heel & Toe experts among us. I for one have never mastered the art, and when i have tried i usually balls it up. Any good vids around on youtube or does anyone have a tuition vid or can tutor.

I know it's not something that's required with some of these paddle shift cars as they blip for you on the down change but stick shift isn't going to dissappear just yet and i don't see me buying an auto for sometime to come.

Bladerider · Post by **Bladerider** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 5:59 pm

Practice.

I guess Maxx might have a proper guide written down, but basically if you were to pretend that you had three feet for a second, you would be able to press the brake fully and still blip the throttle as you press the clutch in so that the revs matched the gear speed as you let the clutch back up. All whilst staying on the brakes.

All you need to work out (which is easy when sitting here, but harder when in the car admittedly) is when to roll your foot over to blip the throttle whist NOT pressing harder on the middle pedal.

Most people use the ball of their foot on the brakes. If they are smallish (size 6 or less) they tend to need to swivel their whole foot over so their heel pushes down on the bottom of the accelerator - in other words they almost have their right foot pointing towards their left foot - if they are larger proportioned (no sniggering at the back !!) like myself then I simply "tip" my right side of my foot over towards the accelerator and press down a bit and hey presto it works !!!

I have been doing this for 15 years though, and I do it in most the vehicles I drive at least 10 times a day - usually the van, usually down country lanes for a mad 5 minutes !!!

Hence why i say PRACTICE !!!!

The only other thing I have found is that I get the revs wrong about 1 in 10 blips whilst driving flat out, and 1 in 20 results in a jerk on the brakes. When doing this technique at relaxed speeds I find this goes up alot to more like 1 in 5 and 1 in 8. I dont know why - lack of concentration probably !! - but its worth noting !!!

Hope this helps,

J.

ScoobieWRX · Post by **ScoobieWRX** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 7:04 pm

I find when i am trying to heel and tow i get my heel on the gas pedal no probs. It's when i press the gas with my heel that the brake gets pushed a bit harder and myself and passenger end up learching forward towards the windscreen unexpectedly :pmsl: It hilarious when i think about it.

It's trying to blip the throttle without momentatrily pressing harder on the brake that is the issue.

I can't remember which but there is an old swedish rally driver that has a school in the UK where he teaches people how to heel and toe, Left foot brake etc... Oh yeah...just found it... Pentti Airikkala... Remember that name? I do..from my youth :lol:

He is someone i think i would like to learn from and all the written guides in the world i don't think are ever going to help me. I need a bit of hand holding on this one and i prefer to learn by example. Monkey see...Monkey do

Anyway...thanks for that Bladey. Nice one :thumb:

Gerry H · Post by **Gerry H** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 7:18 pm

It has to be with the side of the foot and not the heel. Using the heel and the whole foot jabs forward with the result of over braking. On track you'd be braking pretty hard anyway.

I find the Scooby pedal positions are ideal for toe & heel.

RX7 · Post by **RX7** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 7:30 pm

I have been practicing this a lot since Bladey told me about it at a meet a few months ago. Easier to do in my car as the pedals are closer together but in Emmas Polo it's a nightmare. When I first started I'd roll my foot over and overrev it and bounce a bit because I was pressing too hard on the brake at the same time lol.

Getting better but by no means good !!

lsop · Post by **lsop** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 7:57 pm

size 13's help

God knows how i used to do this in my pug 106 gti with my work boots on too!!!

Nice demo here!!!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=IuoZeuSgEj4

323ian · Post by **323ian** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 9:53 pm

I do it all the time in the Skyline on the track as if i dont it locks the rear wheels up going into a corner, would say im a master i can just get by!

ScoobieWRX · Post by **ScoobieWRX** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 10:18 pm

That vid was a bit short but i get the point. He does actually use his heel though as opposed to side of his foot.

I found this video while mooching around on YouTube. Walter Rohl disco dancing on the pedals of his Audi Quattro ala arcade machine style, bloody amazing

slow_matt · Post by **slow_matt** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 12:25 am

None of the cars on my drive have clutch pedals :oops:

ScoobieWRX · Post by **ScoobieWRX** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 8:00 am

This was the video i meant to post up :oops:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxkQmcDsulU