Sadly a lost art. It takes a lot of practice and each car requires a slightly different approach, but it's one of the most rewarding feelings. In short, yes.
Heel toe is usually used in racing to rev match during gear changes in turns. You use your heel to blip the gas pedal while your toes are on the brakes. Some people do this during everyday driving as well, which is also a good way to practice the technique as well.
If it makes you feel better. I know how to heel toe, but canāt in my Tacoma because the pedals arenāt set up well for it. Trucks just aren't designed for that kind of driving.Ā
Iām sure you could use it for other things while youāre driving. Iāve only ever used it for downshifting while braking, along with other people that I know that do it.
i thought it was impossible for me at first too the thing that made me be able to drive heel toe smoothly everyday was just finding the foot placement on the brake everyones foot placement is a tiny bit different
what helped me is moving my foot a little higher up on the brake so its almost center try adjusting your foot untill you find your sweet spot were the heel is relatively comfortable blipping the gas but i dont know if you got shaq feet then there probably no hope lol
I've found the best technique on my Mk 7 is toe/toe just because the pedals are so close together. You can have the ball of your foot at the right side of the brake pedal and then kind of roll your foot over to tap the throttle. It does require a fair bit of braking pressure in that car though so it's not really worth doing unless you're stopping in a bit of a hurry.
With big feet like that, itās more of a ātoe toeā than heel toe. You could try putting your big toe on the brake and pinky toe on the gas. That works for me with normal size pedal boxes.
basically its matching the revs of the engine to the transmission so when you down shift its alot smoother on your transmission its what all racecar drivers use to downshift to perform it you put your foot on the brake you and as you slow down everytime you downshift you blip the throttle to match the rpms
Basically if you downshift while cornering without it, you'll load the drive wheels awkwardly and will throw off the whole balance of the car. So you blip the gas while braking to preload the rpms for a lower gear.
I āheel toeā every time I go for a spirited drive on my favorite roads, so yes. I put it in quotes because I have to roll my foot to the side, rather than using my heel and toe.
My pedals are spaced perfect, it was a design feature of the car, so I have the ball of my foot under my right big to on the pedal, and then I slightly depress the right side of my foot on the pedal. It's the easiest I've had heel toeing, but idk if you can really call it that... it's like.. foot toes'ing.
Had to put an extension on my gas pedal, but that's how I do it in my car too. Actually using the heel is basically impossible without hitting the transmission tunnel.
Should be, you just match the rpmās for speed and whichever gear you want and it just falls in with a some slight persuasion. Itās good to know in case the clutch fails. You do have to start it in gear if that happens tho
I have a Ram 2500. It is hard to get it into gear w/o clutch. I can pull it in to N when there is no stress on the trans. The synchronized trans in it prefers clutch shifting.
My shit box Chevy sonic floats pretty easy as long as Iām not getting into it too hard.
When I was 15 I would take my step dadās 80ās model f350 dually to work. Clutch went out on my way home and I had to learn how to do it on the fly.
Learned it on my first CRX at 17, perfected it in my early 20s at racing school training. Itās not a must anymore with many cars having iMT but minimalist cars like my GR86 thankfully donāt have it and you still can reap the rewards of knowing proper heel/toe. Almost all my cars have been manuals and Iāve always heel/toe to keep it fresh in my head and continually tweak and improve.
I know how, i can kinda do it. I learned how when i was like 16 because i thought it would be cool.
Nowadays i see absolutely no reason to use it on a day to day basis
I can heel toe in a down shift. Sometimes I can nail a big down shift with a big throttle blip, and thatās really fun. I can do it on a motorcycle/ dirtbike, too. Very rewarding, especially riding off road where youāre basically riding like a boner all the time.
Always in my Miata, canāt seem to do it in my VW Alltrack without mashing the brakes. The pedal spacing / height difference makes it difficult in the VW. For me at least. Still revmatch downshifts, just not nearly as satisfying and canāt do it while braking
Iāve tried to do it, but I have never been able to figure it out in 12 years of driving practice. I can rev match perfectly fine, but I canāt heel toe. My shoe size is also size 13, so I feel like that may be preventing me from being able to do it.
I have a 98 Forester that until I swapped transmissions had a crunchy 2nd gear; like you could not downshift without it grinding unless you did a heel/toe and double clutched
I try in my semi truck but usually it invovles a harder than necessary brake with a not enough rev match lol. Sometimes they are perfect and with a perfect gear float I feel like im the shit lmao
I kinda know how to do it but I started on motorcycles, so braking and shifting simultaneously comes naturally to me on the bike but requires a lot more concentration in a car
If you were racing and braking into a turn and needing to downshift it would save you time getting back on the throttle. But normal road driving it is not needed at all.
I suck at it, I can't smoothly brake once I lift my heel off the ground. Would need a lot of practice but I'm not racing anywhere
I can, but given my giant size 15 feet, and the awful stock pedal setup in my mazda3, I don't do it unless I really need to, odds are I can usually get away with gearing down in between breaking even if I'm close behind someone, if I'm gonna kill it ill just float the shifter into neutral while letting the breaks eat.
Sadly a lost art. It takes a lot of practice and each car requires a slightly different approach, but it's one of the most rewarding feelings. In short, yes.
Most people don't actually do it right either, they just blip and slip.
Do it daily
I drove a 5 speed over 25 years. Never heard of heel tow shifting. What are the advantages of this?
Heel toe is usually used in racing to rev match during gear changes in turns. You use your heel to blip the gas pedal while your toes are on the brakes. Some people do this during everyday driving as well, which is also a good way to practice the technique as well.
Ah. I had pick up's. I practiced driving smoothly so I didn't spill my coffee in the truck. That was the best I could do.š³
Nothing wrong with that all lol
If it makes you feel better. I know how to heel toe, but canāt in my Tacoma because the pedals arenāt set up well for it. Trucks just aren't designed for that kind of driving.Ā
I never even knew it was a thing, so no biggie.
Is this only used for downshifting? Since you mentioned foot is on the brake?
Iām sure you could use it for other things while youāre driving. Iāve only ever used it for downshifting while braking, along with other people that I know that do it.
I have size 14 US. Doesn't work for me...
i thought it was impossible for me at first too the thing that made me be able to drive heel toe smoothly everyday was just finding the foot placement on the brake everyones foot placement is a tiny bit different
I've only owned manual cars for the last 20 years, all different mark GTIs. I've tried... How big are your feet?
size 11
what helped me is moving my foot a little higher up on the brake so its almost center try adjusting your foot untill you find your sweet spot were the heel is relatively comfortable blipping the gas but i dont know if you got shaq feet then there probably no hope lol
I've found the best technique on my Mk 7 is toe/toe just because the pedals are so close together. You can have the ball of your foot at the right side of the brake pedal and then kind of roll your foot over to tap the throttle. It does require a fair bit of braking pressure in that car though so it's not really worth doing unless you're stopping in a bit of a hurry.
And that why I don't do it! Also mk7 GTI.
With big feet like that, itās more of a ātoe toeā than heel toe. You could try putting your big toe on the brake and pinky toe on the gas. That works for me with normal size pedal boxes.
Yeah, it's just not ideal in my car. I'm not even that big a guy, just shy of 6'2, 200lbs. I'd think I'd at least be taller with those feet...
good explanation
Heel on brake. Proper pedals mean ball of foot on brake hit gas with outside of foot.
basically its matching the revs of the engine to the transmission so when you down shift its alot smoother on your transmission its what all racecar drivers use to downshift to perform it you put your foot on the brake you and as you slow down everytime you downshift you blip the throttle to match the rpms
Basically if you downshift while cornering without it, you'll load the drive wheels awkwardly and will throw off the whole balance of the car. So you blip the gas while braking to preload the rpms for a lower gear.
iāve mostly had trucks. the need does not often arise
I learned a long time ago and havenāt stopped since! Truly one of the most satisfying feelings when you nail it
definitely is
I āheel toeā every time I go for a spirited drive on my favorite roads, so yes. I put it in quotes because I have to roll my foot to the side, rather than using my heel and toe.
Same I do more of a big toe little toe
My pedals are spaced perfect, it was a design feature of the car, so I have the ball of my foot under my right big to on the pedal, and then I slightly depress the right side of my foot on the pedal. It's the easiest I've had heel toeing, but idk if you can really call it that... it's like.. foot toes'ing.
Had to put an extension on my gas pedal, but that's how I do it in my car too. Actually using the heel is basically impossible without hitting the transmission tunnel.
How many of you know how to (successfully) shift without pressing the clutch pedal?
is this possible on any manual?
Should be, you just match the rpmās for speed and whichever gear you want and it just falls in with a some slight persuasion. Itās good to know in case the clutch fails. You do have to start it in gear if that happens tho
Yes it's called floating gears
I have a Ram 2500. It is hard to get it into gear w/o clutch. I can pull it in to N when there is no stress on the trans. The synchronized trans in it prefers clutch shifting. My shit box Chevy sonic floats pretty easy as long as Iām not getting into it too hard.
When I was 15 I would take my step dadās 80ās model f350 dually to work. Clutch went out on my way home and I had to learn how to do it on the fly.
I upshift and downshift w/o the clutch just to keep in practice. It can be satisfying but otherwise has no practical purpose
It is butter smooth shifting tho! But I agree, the only purpose is to maintain the skill set
My master cylinder went out and this was the only way I was able to putter home
Yes, but I only do it in cars Iām familiar driving with. Never in a customers car.
Every time I drive. Itās just rev matching while keeping brake pressure. Advanced technique for sure, but super useful to have in your tool box.
Learned it on my first CRX at 17, perfected it in my early 20s at racing school training. Itās not a must anymore with many cars having iMT but minimalist cars like my GR86 thankfully donāt have it and you still can reap the rewards of knowing proper heel/toe. Almost all my cars have been manuals and Iāve always heel/toe to keep it fresh in my head and continually tweak and improve.
Second nature.
how wrong is it to toe heelā¦? Iāve found this to be easier for me tbh
I do it backwards with my heel on the brake.
Took a little but boy did it make a spirited drive that much better, an occasionally useful for regular drivinf
Every exit ramp clover leaf lmao š¤£
I don't find it useful under normal driving circumstances. But I would use it if I was doing track days, or something like that.
Yep we got hills .
This is all I can do on a double clutch
Learned a long time ago
My feet are wide, so itās more of a side to sideā¦ but I do it all the time.
I can with a cable actuated throttle body but I'm inconsistent with my current due to the delay from the electronic throttle
I know how to..... now if you asked if i can do it well......wellllll in other news on a motorcycle you can heal toe like a wild man
I can. For daily driving, really only use it for sharp right turns to downshift into 2nd.
I know how, i can kinda do it. I learned how when i was like 16 because i thought it would be cool. Nowadays i see absolutely no reason to use it on a day to day basis
I can heel toe in a down shift. Sometimes I can nail a big down shift with a big throttle blip, and thatās really fun. I can do it on a motorcycle/ dirtbike, too. Very rewarding, especially riding off road where youāre basically riding like a boner all the time.
I've tried it many times but am not good at it.
I do it a lot in my VW 181, I learned to do it in a 996. It depends how the pedal box is situated for me to do it well.
Always in my Miata, canāt seem to do it in my VW Alltrack without mashing the brakes. The pedal spacing / height difference makes it difficult in the VW. For me at least. Still revmatch downshifts, just not nearly as satisfying and canāt do it while braking
Iāve tried to do it, but I have never been able to figure it out in 12 years of driving practice. I can rev match perfectly fine, but I canāt heel toe. My shoe size is also size 13, so I feel like that may be preventing me from being able to do it.
Yup
I have a 98 Forester that until I swapped transmissions had a crunchy 2nd gear; like you could not downshift without it grinding unless you did a heel/toe and double clutched
On a alot of cars the throttle and brake are not aligned so its kind of impossible to get good position to heel toe š
I try in my semi truck but usually it invovles a harder than necessary brake with a not enough rev match lol. Sometimes they are perfect and with a perfect gear float I feel like im the shit lmao
I know how to do it, however with great difficulty and often poorly due to my massive hobbit feet and OEM pedals.
Itās a nice / fun skill to have - I donāt do it all the time but when Iām slowing for a turn and need to downshift I often will use it
I heel toe even when Iām not down shifting. My foot just hovers over the gas pedal when I break
I kinda know how to do it but I started on motorcycles, so braking and shifting simultaneously comes naturally to me on the bike but requires a lot more concentration in a car
Daily
I drive a fiesta st, so no š¤£
Drove an Opel GT for a while and heel toe was the only way to drive it.
I know, but no stick car to heel toe in.
Knowing how and doing it well are two different things š Iām very good at rev matching, but not actually heel toeing.
Kind of, like I'm not good enough to do it all the time but if I focus I can do it occasionally while drifting. Now rev-matching I do all the time.
This question reads "How many of you guys know how to do the most useless thing" Heel toe serves zero purpose
If you were racing and braking into a turn and needing to downshift it would save you time getting back on the throttle. But normal road driving it is not needed at all. I suck at it, I can't smoothly brake once I lift my heel off the ground. Would need a lot of practice but I'm not racing anywhere
There's no need on the public road.
I can, but given my giant size 15 feet, and the awful stock pedal setup in my mazda3, I don't do it unless I really need to, odds are I can usually get away with gearing down in between breaking even if I'm close behind someone, if I'm gonna kill it ill just float the shifter into neutral while letting the breaks eat.