Heel-Toe Down Shifting (and an introduction)
#1
03-01-2009, 06:57 PM
Heel-Toe Down Shifting (and an introduction)
Hi all,
My name is Ken Melgoza and I will be posting for Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch on this forum. As a consistent driver and racer at Spring Mountain for the last 5 years, I can attest to the exciting and challenging nature of this track, and the exceptional quality of the staff. Spring Mountain is committed to supporting the driving and racing community, and to that end I plan on creating a series of performance-driving related articles. My first piece in this series is about one of the foundations of performance driving: heel-toe down shifting. If you prefer, go straight to the Heel-Toe video for an action peek at this technique, then come back here for a more detailed explanation.
Heel-Toe Down Shifting
Heel-toe down shifting is the process of matching engine RPMs to transmission RPMs while braking and downshifting. Done properly, your vehicle will remain stable and balanced, resulting in faster lap times.
Here's how it works:
As you press the brake to slow your car, RPMs drop - makes sense, right? Here's the catch; when you depress the clutch to begin your down shift, engine RPMs will drop even more because the engine is no longer coupled to the transmission. If you just down shift and let the clutch out, the engine RPMs will be much lower than that of the transmission. The result is the car lurching forward and a possible loss of control (you know, that "chirping" the tires make when you let the clutch out too fast). This can greatly upsets the balance of the car. Not too much of a deal on the street, but imagine if you're trying to out-brake an opponent on the track, at a minimum you lose time. If it's really bad, you might lose control.
This is where heel-toe down shifting comes in and improves performance. As you push the clutch in and move the shifter through neutral, you "blip" the throttle. "Blip" means to give the throttle a quick push to "rev" the engine. When you "blip" the throttle you want it to be just enough so that when you let the clutch out the engine RPMs and transmission RPMs match exactly. Easy, right?
Now you're probably thinking to yourself, how do I brake, press the clutch and "blip" the throttle? I only have 2 legs and my arms are a little busy steering and shifting! The name "heel-toe" is a little deceptive but it gives you a clue that you're supposed to use one foot to do two things (brake and "blip").
As you might guess, (right) foot placement is critical and will vary based on the car you're driving. In general, you want to place your right foot firmly on the brake but shifted slightly toward the accelerator so you can roll your foot enough to "blip" the throttle while maintaining the right amount of pressure on the brake. The pictures and video below are from a Lotus Elise. I chose this vehicle mainly because it was easy to place cameras.
The following sequence of pictures shows the process:
Here is a short video that shows the heal-toe technique in real-time and in slow motion:
Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch - Heel Toe Video
Summary
Heel-toe down shifting is one of those basic performance-driving techniques that must be mastered if you want to be competitive and maintain safety. Becoming proficient in this technique not only greatly improves your lap times, but also reduces wear and tear on your car. Your car stays more balanced, and track safety is improved.
As with all performance driving, heel-toe down shifting should only be practiced in a safe, controlled environment.
At Spring Mountain, we offer classes for all levels of drivers. Our performance driving schools give you the opportunity to learn from professional instructors and practice and master heel-toe down shifting along with threshold braking, car control, proper racing line, and a variety of other advanced driving techniques. So whether you're interested in Corvettes, Lotus', Radicals or our New Mini school, you will learn and master the techniques to make you a better, faster and safer driver all in a safe, controlled and fun environment.
Spring Mountain is located just 45 minutes from Las Vegas in Pahrump, NV. In addition to our driving schools, Spring Mountain is the home for the exclusive Club Spring Mountain, the premier private motorsports country club. While a student, you will enjoy access to members only Club amenities including the 8,000 SF club house, men and women?s locker rooms, fitness center, pool, Jacuzzi, massage therapy, racquet ball court and indoor gun range. Spring Mountain is truly a unique experience.
If you have a topic you would like to discuss, let me know and I'll see what I can do.
For more information or to sign up, visit www.RaceSpringMountain.com or call 800-391-6891
My name is Ken Melgoza and I will be posting for Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch on this forum. As a consistent driver and racer at Spring Mountain for the last 5 years, I can attest to the exciting and challenging nature of this track, and the exceptional quality of the staff. Spring Mountain is committed to supporting the driving and racing community, and to that end I plan on creating a series of performance-driving related articles. My first piece in this series is about one of the foundations of performance driving: heel-toe down shifting. If you prefer, go straight to the Heel-Toe video for an action peek at this technique, then come back here for a more detailed explanation.
Heel-Toe Down Shifting
Heel-toe down shifting is the process of matching engine RPMs to transmission RPMs while braking and downshifting. Done properly, your vehicle will remain stable and balanced, resulting in faster lap times.
Here's how it works:
As you press the brake to slow your car, RPMs drop - makes sense, right? Here's the catch; when you depress the clutch to begin your down shift, engine RPMs will drop even more because the engine is no longer coupled to the transmission. If you just down shift and let the clutch out, the engine RPMs will be much lower than that of the transmission. The result is the car lurching forward and a possible loss of control (you know, that "chirping" the tires make when you let the clutch out too fast). This can greatly upsets the balance of the car. Not too much of a deal on the street, but imagine if you're trying to out-brake an opponent on the track, at a minimum you lose time. If it's really bad, you might lose control.
This is where heel-toe down shifting comes in and improves performance. As you push the clutch in and move the shifter through neutral, you "blip" the throttle. "Blip" means to give the throttle a quick push to "rev" the engine. When you "blip" the throttle you want it to be just enough so that when you let the clutch out the engine RPMs and transmission RPMs match exactly. Easy, right?
Now you're probably thinking to yourself, how do I brake, press the clutch and "blip" the throttle? I only have 2 legs and my arms are a little busy steering and shifting! The name "heel-toe" is a little deceptive but it gives you a clue that you're supposed to use one foot to do two things (brake and "blip").
As you might guess, (right) foot placement is critical and will vary based on the car you're driving. In general, you want to place your right foot firmly on the brake but shifted slightly toward the accelerator so you can roll your foot enough to "blip" the throttle while maintaining the right amount of pressure on the brake. The pictures and video below are from a Lotus Elise. I chose this vehicle mainly because it was easy to place cameras.
The following sequence of pictures shows the process:
Here is a short video that shows the heal-toe technique in real-time and in slow motion:
Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch - Heel Toe Video
Summary
Heel-toe down shifting is one of those basic performance-driving techniques that must be mastered if you want to be competitive and maintain safety. Becoming proficient in this technique not only greatly improves your lap times, but also reduces wear and tear on your car. Your car stays more balanced, and track safety is improved.
As with all performance driving, heel-toe down shifting should only be practiced in a safe, controlled environment.
At Spring Mountain, we offer classes for all levels of drivers. Our performance driving schools give you the opportunity to learn from professional instructors and practice and master heel-toe down shifting along with threshold braking, car control, proper racing line, and a variety of other advanced driving techniques. So whether you're interested in Corvettes, Lotus', Radicals or our New Mini school, you will learn and master the techniques to make you a better, faster and safer driver all in a safe, controlled and fun environment.
Spring Mountain is located just 45 minutes from Las Vegas in Pahrump, NV. In addition to our driving schools, Spring Mountain is the home for the exclusive Club Spring Mountain, the premier private motorsports country club. While a student, you will enjoy access to members only Club amenities including the 8,000 SF club house, men and women?s locker rooms, fitness center, pool, Jacuzzi, massage therapy, racquet ball court and indoor gun range. Spring Mountain is truly a unique experience.
If you have a topic you would like to discuss, let me know and I'll see what I can do.
For more information or to sign up, visit www.RaceSpringMountain.com or call 800-391-6891
#2
03-12-2009, 03:58 AM
LOL . . i do this all the time in my Subaru . . . but my min's breaks are so darn sharp it makes it difficult . . .
#3
09-01-2010, 12:42 AM
shifting
This a great post especially to newbies like me who want to learn some new skills. The pictures are really acurate which is a great help to me when I'm practicing this Heel-Toe down shifting. Now, I'm wondering would this shift affect the neutral safety switch or would this be bad to the transmission of the car?
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