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this if for people that have good experience driving autoX and circuits. no one is going to look at this thread if it's in the autox/road racing section so it's going in here...

i was doing some runs on my local mountain pass a little while ago for the first time in awhile and wanted to practice my heel and toe down shifting technique. i havent really practiced very much since i moved out of the valley and went to college so i was a bit rusty. the mountain i run on is composed of an uphill and downhill stage. i didn't really have any problems with the uphill, but the downhill was a different story. on about 3 out of 6 corners where good braking is critical i ****ed up. i would always brake way too much and would never blip the throttle enough. i also would always turn my right foot sideways too soon or too late. i know that practice makes perfect, but i started getting really frustrated.

on my last run though i decided to try something different right out of the blue. when going into the corner i put my right foot in between the brake and the throttle. i didnt brake and turn my foot sideways to do a normal heel and toe, but instead i braked with left side side of my right foot and blipped the throttle with my right side. it worked perfectly and was as quick and as smooth as possible. i kept using it for the rest of the run, but is this a reputable technique though? does anyone use this or has anyone even thought about trying this before? i've contemplated doing this on previous runs along time ago, but never got the nerve because it felt akward. with stock pedals i doesn't even make sense to try this, but with the aluminum pedal covers i have it kind of makes it easy because theres a much bigger surface area to work with.

so am i weird for doing this? am i more likely to **** up eventually doing this? are there any more benefits do using heel and toe over this technique??

 
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it is just another technique. The only downside is when you are going from lets say gear 4 to gear 2 through a tight high-low speed turn. You would need to apply more brake and a bigger kick in throttle then you could using that technique. Heel Toe you can apply more pressure in both.
Hope you have fun. Don't fly off the mountain

 
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from what ive heard the technique u speak of is better for someone (like me) who cant manipulate the throttle and the brake in a heel toe fashin

 
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This technique has been around for quite some time.

Since I have size 16 4E wide feet, I use the pad of my foot right behind my big toe for break blip the throttle with the other side of my pad behind my pinky toe.

 
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my cars an auto so i just slam both and see which one stronger







jk

 
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Well, you dont HAVE to use this technique if you dont want to, personaly i have small feet so its harder for me to do it. I just found a technique that works for me and i dont like to use much break anyways, cause i enter turns at a high rate of giddy up and try to hit the apex just right. Not to mention it helps to have a higher reving engine when coming into the turns so you dont have to shift as much!

 
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yeah, that makes sense. i wasn't thinking of low speed corners corners because theres only about one straitaway through the entire pass (it's kind of small) and i usually never even use fourth gear. and don't worry, i always leave good saftey margin when entering a corner. because if you **** up on this pass, then you **** up bad. i try not to go over 60-65 because most of the corners don't have guard rails.

 
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I can't get even close to using my actual heel, so the only way I can do it is by using the side of my foot. Its tricky tho when you have to brake harder than give gas. I suck at it lol

 
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Isn't it more natural anyway for USDM cars to brake with the heel and accelerate with the toe since our cars are left hand drive? I'm thinking the japanese drivers do it there way bc they're right hand drive.

 
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^^Ya, I was thinking the same thing, when I try to do it, it feels awkward. So Im trying to do the roll your right side of your foot technique, but my aluminum pedal is a little too high for my gas.

 
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pedal setups on right hand drive cars are exactly the same as left hand drive cars. and braking with your heel? that doesnt sound like it would work very well. you need more brake control than throttle control when doing heel/toe so using the top part of your foot to brake would be more realistic than using your heel. go out and try it and see what i mean.

yeah, it feels really akward at first but once you practice it and get into a rythem then it becomes a lot easier. you kind of have to take it in steps. when approaching a corner apply your foot on the brake like you normally would do, then turn your right leg a bit sideways and turn your foot to the side. press the clutch, blip the throttle, and shift down all in the same motion. slide your toe off the brake while you keep your heel on the throttle and accelerate.

 
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as TransformedBG , it's about what makes you confortable or what you are able to do. I tried your new found method before and that didnt work for me b/c I also have small feet, so I stick with rolling my bottom heel to the side. Also, I feel it doesnt work that great with cars with a deep brake point b/c what if the brake threshold point is deeper than the where the gas pedal is placed? (Or if brakes are fading?) That would kind of require your whole right side of the foot to be slightly lifted.... which could possibly lead to a slight lift off the brake pedal..... I havent tried that enough but thats just a thought.

 
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Pedal setups can greatly increase or even decrease your efficiency with the technique. Every person requires their own personal setup.
Also, like said above. The pedals on left hand drive and right hand drives are relatively the same.

Left to right
Clutch, Brake, Gas

 
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just be careful that your foot doesnt slip off the brake and you give full throttle in a turn by mistake. might not be a good thing.

otherwise, nothing wrong w/ the technique if youre comfortable with it.

 
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u know what funny i thought the same thing i thought i was the only weirdo trying that

 
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I find that when I press the brakes and lift my ankle to blip the the gas, I end up pushing the brakes in too much. Im used to having my ankles planted to the floor for control.

 
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yeah me too my ankles suck i gotta keep working on that

 
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heel toe is the ****...ahha i love doing this...this is one reason why i have super bad gas mileage...anyways that technique u use with th side of the foot and crap is totally normal..u'll find even jap drivers busting them...for me im more comfortable with the traditional heel/toe. all it was was practice...dont be to all up with the word heel/toe...jus think of it as...break and match rev...thats the whole idea. so yeah. if u do practice with the heel and toe ****..it'll feel abnormal..but if u keep doing it..should be fine..ull get over things like braking to much and ****..so have fun..be safe in the canyons...!!!

 
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Couple of things...

1. ABSOLUTLY DO NOT try to learn a new driving technique, what ever it may be, while your running down a mountain side. thats just stupid. If you want to learn a new technique, do it in a controled enviornment. or at least when your putting around town if its something like Heel toe.

2. Turn Fast is your friend...

 
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If you're going to do the 1/2 and 1/2, then be absolutely certain your foot cannot go through the pedals.... you don't want to end up with your foot behind the brake.

 
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the mountain is the only place i have to drive. you have to go to atlanta if you want to do autox or run on a circuit. i've tried practicing in empty parking lots by myself, but the cops are usually quick to bust the party up.

 
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^^ you can learn heel toe perfectly fine putting around town, just do it for every stoplight and Row through every gear on the way down. Basically I'm saying that its better to learn the skill in a less Leathal enviornment then a mountain road, especially when dealing with something crucial like proper brakeing. (where screwing up = you eating a guard rail)


I guess What I'm trying to say is untill you can heel toe with out thinking about it, it would probably be best not to use it on your mountain runs.

 
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yeah thats how i learned. i was basically learning at the stoplights..and when i wanted to feel like i was doing turns...i did the regular left turn right turn when it was safe =D

 
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these pedals do wonders. brushed alum. of course.