Upshifting and Downshifting

[eslai]

Just keep in mind also that you have a lot more torque in your current car than in your old VWs. You can really punish your clutch without even feeling it.

[deliriousga]

Originally Posted by 986President

I am getting better at quick starts on an incline but if you are in traffic on an incline you are constantly doing quick starts and stopping after only a few feet.

Sometimes you just gotta do whatcha gotta do. It drives me nuts on the freeway just stop-go-stop-go. Especially when you're uphill and the guy behind you is 6" off your bumper. It may not always be the best driving conditions, but hey, I'm in a Boxster with a hot woman in the passenger seat . (when she lets me drive )

[deliriousga]

Originally Posted by 986President

I learned to drive a stick 18 years ago on a VW Golf and never drove another until I got this car so I am trying to iron out bad habbits.

Man have cars come a long way. I learned at about the same time in a delivery van (I was a L'eggs rep when first married) with a column shift 4-speed. Now that's a manly man's car!!! :dance: ROFL

[Rail26]

That was great advice! Thanks! SD987, ever thought of being a motivational speaker? The golf/driving vignettes were interesting. Would somebody now discuss rev matching?

[Rail26]

I read the included website below and think I have a vague idea of rev matching....as you are coming out of gear going to the next are you giving it some gas before you get to the next gear?

[ho2go]

Thanks for the informative post, SD987! Your explanation of physiology & pedal operation was awesome new info to me.

I've never analyzed my personal clutch takeup technique before but from what you said I know I can make some improvements. First start pivoting at the heel (larger movement) until the bite point, then use the toe/front area of my foot to fine-tune the clutch takeup from there. Nice.

[eslai]

It's funny to me when I see drivers that stomp on the clutch pedal with their entire foot. I don't see how anyone can retain any fine control without the foot anchored to the ground, but y'know, i've seen a lot of videos of rally drivers that drive that way. To each his own; they're better drivers than me so who am i to judge?

As for the question of rev-matching, yes, it's about giving the car gas between gears (when you're downshifting) so that when you put the car back in gear and let out the clutch, the input and output shafts in the tranny are spinning at matching speed and the car's balance isn't upset when the clutch reengages.

[SD987]

Just to be clear, I wasn't espousing anchoring the left foot to the floor at any point in the clutch process, I was suggesting using the left heel as a reference point even if the heel is unsupported, but I would certainly agree to each his own YMMV. In that vein, one can't discount one's feet in the process, considering that a large portion of the earth's population have foot problems. Personally, I have low, and consequently weak arches (flat feet) and need to adjust accordingly.

To respond to Rail's question, matching revs on a downshift would go clutch-in gas - gas (the first time being a blip to get the revs up, the second one being timed with the clutch release).

I did want to expand on one of the last points in my post regarding how one holds the shifter and shifts. I was over at Barnes and Noble the other day (does anyone actually buy, let alone subscribe to magazines anymore? or do they just read them at the store, like me?) and I was pleasantly surprised to see a book on performance driving. Sadly, it didn't have much "practical" advice, but the author (some racer whose name I didn't recognize, but I'm sure others would) said it wasn't till into his career did he realize the correct way to shift, and it was from driving an Audi (during Audi's stretch of dominance). He said the mental picture that worked for him was to enfold the shifter in the hand as delicately as if it was an egg, thus primarily using the other muscles in the wrist and arm to shift with while maintaining the appropriate lack of force in the hand.

If you read Golf Digest, there is this section where they have like a 3, 15 and 20+ handicap try whatever swing-tip Golf Digest is recycling that month. The section is called "I tried it" and it makes me laugh because the 20 + guy is always like, "Yeah, it worked for me" (funnier if you're a pretty decent golfer)...anyway, back to the point of the yarn, I tried the "egg" thought....and "Yeah, it worked for me". Weird thing is, not only does the shifter shift better, but the clutch engages and disengages smoother too...Pretty weird stuff, which I haven't thought of a complicated reason for yet (but give me time). But this does remind me of a sign of whether you're a good rower or not. If the shifter goes into gear as a one-syllable sound ("Chunk") you're being overly forceful with the hand muscles;...If it goes in making a two-syllable sound ("Cachunk")...that's about right.

[SoCal]

SD, where did you learn all this? I'm convinced more than ever that I need hands-on training to make sure I know what I'm doing with my new Porsche. Know of a good instructor in SD-OC-LA?

[SD987]

SoCal, I think the best approach is experimentation to determine what works best for you, within the general framework of what we could term "best practices". A DE (Driver's Ed) teacher, or someone else you get paired up with at a PCA event might have some good insights, but I would imagine they'll be more concerned with getting you around the course safely, than the mechanics of your driving.

I would chalk up any insights I might have to a good teacher (Dad) and my own experimentation. I'm an avid and pretty good golfer so I focus on what my body is doing when making athletic motions and achieving consistency. I'm an analyst for a securities firm, so I analyze and write for a living. But most helpful, I've just spent a gazillion miles in manual cars (I've had some long-ass commutes for previous jobs; for example, I used to live in Philadelphia but worked in New York) and if you're moving in gridlock, working on your shifting is just another way to pass the time.

[eslai]

I read a lot of books, listened to a lot of people, and watched a lot of race car drivers either from the passenger seat or from a video tape. It helps a lot to just observe.

If you wanted to pay someone to teach you how to drive, you could conceivably learn how to shift better, but all of the schools I've ever seen have been more concerned with teaching you how to drive the line and keep the car balanced on the right wheels at the right time than they have been concerned with teaching you any of the mechanics behind shifting and clutching smoothly.

If you start going to track events often enough though you'll start making friends and their experience will help you a lot!

[eslai]

Originally Posted by SD987

Just to be clear, I wasn't espousing anchoring the left foot to the floor at any point in the clutch process, I was suggesting using the left heel as a reference point even if the heel is unsupported

See in my case I step on the pedal with the ball of my foot and eventually my heel contacts the ground at which point I pivot on the heel, stretching my arch out, etcetera.

People seem to think that I sit rather close to the steering wheel also, but I need to be able to put the clutch to the floor or else things don't feel right for me. That, and since the steering wheel doesn't telescope on the 987 and I don't quite have ape arms, I need to sit closer to have proper leverage on the steering wheel.

[KRZTACO]

Purchase some Drifting Videos. All the videos I've seen specifically show the pedal and shifting techniques on the screen PLUS explain everything very throuroughly.

KRZ

[SD987]

FYI...the 987 wheel does telescope and is adjustable for pitch. Release lever is below the wheel on the right side...

[wombat7]

wow great write up SD... I agree with everything you said except for positioning of the driver.

I was at an autocross and was having significant trouble keeping the car stable during downshifts. I was rev matching very well, I was holding the shifter correctly... I couldn't figure out what the problem was. I had someone ride with me and they said the problem was I was sitting too far away from the wheel and pedals. The guy who rode with me, a very experienced road racer and autocrosser, said that the optimum position for the driver is the one where you can press the clutch pedal completely in with your RIGHT foot. I adjusted my seat accordingly and have found driving on the street as well as the track much easier. By moving my seat that one position forward, it put everything where Porsche designed it to be. The shifter was more accessible and easier to operate as were all 3 of the pedals.

Secondly on the rev match/ heel-toe topic, I have found that in most modern/ semi modern cars, the pedals are not spaced for proper heel-toe shifting. Most are now placed for more of a side step technique. This is when you use the brake with the ball and inner half of your right foot, when you are ready to rev match and downshift, you roll your foot toward the outside and shoudl come in contact with the gas pedal. I've found that if done properly, this makes rev matching much easier than trying to completely turn your foot and heel-toe. It will definately take some getting used to and some practice to learn when to apply the throttle and with how much pressure, but when mastered, this technique will help improve your cornering speeds as well as car control.

[BuffaloBoxster]

Originally Posted by wombat7

Secondly on the rev match/ heel-toe topic, I have found that in most modern/ semi modern cars, the pedals are not spaced for proper heel-toe shifting. Most are now placed for more of a side step technique. This is when you use the brake with the ball and inner half of your right foot, when you are ready to rev match and downshift, you roll your foot toward the outside and shoudl come in contact with the gas pedal. I've found that if done properly, this makes rev matching much easier than trying to completely turn your foot and heel-toe. It will definately take some getting used to and some practice to learn when to apply the throttle and with how much pressure, but when mastered, this technique will help improve your cornering speeds as well as car control.

That's the way I've found it to be easiest to do as well, although you may run into problems during very heavy braking with your foot coming into contact with the gas pedal when you don't want it to.

The technique also makes the ride more pleasant for the passenger as downshifts are smoother and less obtrusive.

[eslai]

Originally Posted by SD987

FYI...the 987 wheel does telescope and is adjustable for pitch. Release lever is below the wheel on the right side...

You're right--I've already got mine all the way extended--forgot about that. Still wish it could be a bit closer though. Maybe not NASCAR close, but with my seating position it's still not getting my arms at a good ninety-degree angle.

[eslai]

Originally Posted by BuffaloBoxster

That's the way I've found it to be easiest to do as well, although you may run into problems during very heavy braking with your foot coming into contact with the gas pedal when you don't want it to.

We discussed heel and toe techniques in this thread here too.

I remember when i first started heel/toe downshifting--I was so confused because I was trying to actually do as I had seen in the diagrams--heel on pedal, toe on brake. Thank god no one was ever behind me during those times...

[deliriousga]

Has anyone been to a DE event? Do they teach any shifting techniques there?

[Perfectlap]

Principles of Race Car Driving-Jim Russell.
lots of tips on proper driving techniques that can
be used on the road. I defy anyone to ever catch me shuffling the
steering wheel.