How To Use Heel Toe Shifter

Last updated: October 11th, 2021

When we were growing up, we'd scout racing and rally heroes similar Ayrton Senna and Walter Röhl using the heel / toe technique to polish their downshifts when they were braking for corners.

The heel / toe technique isn't something you see in modern racing categories anymore. For the near part, modern sports prototypes and formula cars simply don't need to exist driven using this technique, as they're equipped with a throttle car-blip for the downshift.

This means that the gearbox electronics can work in tandem with the engine ECU to increase the revs for a split second when the clutch is fully depressed and has now started to return to the bite point to complete a downwardly shift.

Dorsum in the day, things were different:

Walter Rörhl, world rally champion 1980 and 1982, driving the Audi Quattro S1 – makes y'all want to jump on Dirt Rally!

Classic racing and rally cars have no such electronics to brand them easier to drive.

It seems a bit strange to be sat in a cIassic racing car in your sim using paddles, and then I remember every driver should know and be able to use this technique. And, If you're a commuter like me, who might like to utilise the sim to amend their existent world driving skills then you're definitely going to need a gear shifter and a clutch!

mx5 — Huge fun in the iRacing global Mazda MX5 championship, especially if you're winning races with a manual gearbox.

What is heel and toe?

If you're reading this, you probably already know what the heel and toe technique really is; merely you're looking to improve or, learn the technique from scratch.

The heel/toe technique helps yous maintain the all-of import residual in the car as you're downshifting, matching the engine revs to the approximate wheel speed of the car. This prevents you from all of a sudden slowing the machine when you release the clutch. Unintended engine braking unbalances the auto which, can cause a slide. A well-balanced car ways a maximum grip, which of class means maximum footstep!

And I suppose if you really want to emulate your heroes, and impress the girls (or boys!), then y'all're going to have to bite the bullet and learn how to heel and toe in your racing simulator.

How to heel and toe in the racing simulator

You'll have to excuse the pinkish socks in this video (I retrieve they're cool). I admit I'm no Ayton Senna but hopefully this stride by step volition exist useful for you lot to learn.

I've recorded about 10 seconds of footage using my GoPro to wait downwardly on my pedal work.

How to heel and toe in the racing simulator

Approach the corner
Restriction
Depress the clutch
Blip the throttle
Clutch up, trail into corner

PS: I know well-nigh the flex in this RSeat RS1, an unfortunate consequence of the video really highlights why a stiffer sim rig is the way to go – mine'south on order and should exist at SRC HQ in another few weeks.

Let me explain, stride by step, what's happening.

Approach the corner

In the showtime stage, I'chiliad approaching a corner at maximum assail. The throttle is flat and i'm accelerating:

Brake

In the adjacent phase, yous (naturally) brake. You'll notice I'thousand prepared to depress the clutch anticipating the downshift. My technique has my foot on the brake with the ball of my foot. My foot is slightly twisted, so at this phase I am "off" the throttle.

Landing your human foot on the brake, without depressing the throttle takes a scrap of practice. Information technology's really important to not impact the throttle at all or your braking will exist very inefficient. Critically, though, I am prepared for the side by side phase.

Depress the clutch

While I'grand braking, I'yard putting the clutch downwards ready to downshift:

While this has happened you've disengaged from whatever gear y'all were in and you're now in the process of selecting your new gear, ready to bring the clutch back up again.

Bleep the throttle

Only equally y'all're about to elevator the clutch, give the throttle a footling printing to bring the engine revs support. Ideally, the revs volition lucifer the eventual engine speed as the clutch is fully lifted.

You'll notation I twist my foot so that the outer border of my boot touches the throttle pedal (more on what boots I recollect are all-time for this in the sim hither). Some drivers keep their heel on the baseplate and tilt their foot the other way. Personally, I don't think this matters a great bargain, practise whatever you experience comfy with.

This particular shot was a downshift from tertiary to second gear – while braking to trail into a slow corner. Trail braking is a technique used to assist the car when turning into a corner by keeping the weight transfer forward. This keeps maximum grip on the front tyres.

Clutch up, trail into corner

At this point you're in the final stages of the turn, maybe with some very light trail braking, or y'all've completed the turn and you're preparing to get back on the throttle: