8 ms·

I've taught around a dozen folks how to drive stick, and I finally found a method that reliably worked to make it "click" more quickly. When they get in the car

by tspike 4y ago

I've taught around a dozen folks how to drive stick, and I finally found a method that reliably worked to make it "click" more quickly. When they get in the car, I tell them to forget about the gas and brake pedals and pretend the only pedal that exists is the clutch. In first gear, I have them release it slowly until the car starts going, then have them push it in until the car rolls to a stop. Take breaks, explain what the clutch is doing. Repeat until they start getting bored. Then introduce the brake pedal. Tada! You can stop more quickly now. Finally, the gas pedal. You can push it until the engine shrieks in protest! If only there were a way to get it to quiet down but still keep your speed.... Of course, you need a very large, very flat surface for this method to work. But I've had a lot more success since starting to do it this way.

AlbertCory 4y ago
Good ideas. Watching the tach is pretty unintuitive for someone who's never driven one, too.
Wistar 4y ago
This is basically how I taught my son to drive a manual. I used a low-torque Toyota Corolla with a 5-speed manual. I found a large, flat area—a mega-church parking lot—and, in first gear, told him he can do whatever he wants, as long as he doesn't touch the throttle. He quickly discovered the point at which the clutch bit—began to engage—and learned to get the car rolling without killing the engine. After an hour or so, he had mastered the engaging the clutch and I began to add the next steps. A couple sessions and he had the whole thing down. Eventually I taught him how to double-clutch, rev-match when downshifting, and even how to float the shift with no clutch at all. Today he owns a manual trans performance car (Z06) and has a great fondness for manuals.
- AlbertCory 4y ago
  Heel-and-toe: a totally lost art. Not comfortable or even possible in a lot of cars.
  - spike021 4y ago
    It's honestly not really necessary unless you're on the track. I will say I blip rev-match downshift on the street almost all the time, that's definitely useful for smooth driving in most scenarios.
    - hallway_monitor 4y ago
      I hope every manual driver does this. Forcing your clutch to rev match for you on every downshift seems like unnecessary wear. Plus it's so satisfying to just give a little blip and slip it in.
      - tempestn 4y ago
        And fun to practice getting them just right on the street anyway. It's something to do, if nothing else.
      - tempestn 4y ago
        My first car was a manual, but my parents never taught me about rev matching (probably didn't know themselves), so I had no idea. (This was in the 90s, before the modern internet!) Drove for years like that, until stumbling upon this "heel toe" thing online about 15 years ago. So I started just practicing on the street every time I drove. Which ended up being awesome, because around 5 years I got into track days, autocross, and time attack, and it ended up being an extremely useful skill. Once the muscle memory's there, it's almost easier on the track than on the street since you're deeper into the brakes. (Good on the street too though, to make your clutch last though.)
    - AlbertCory 4y ago
      what do you guys mean by "blip"? I'm not familiar with that term.
      - joecool1029 4y ago
        it means, in this context, to tap the accelerator (gas) pedal briefly to increase engine rpm's.
- VBprogrammer 4y ago
  > Eventually I taught him how to double-clutch, rev-match when downshifting, and even how to float the shift with no clutch at all. Most of these things are unnecessary and damaging to a synchronised manual. They aren't saving wear on any part of the transmission. About the only useful application of changing gear without using the clutch when the clutch cable fails. Unless you are in a manual American truck or a very old British one (the European trucks had synchros). Those are rapidly going to automated transmissions these days in any case.
  - rzzzt 4y ago
    First gear and reverse are occasionally unsynchronized on old cars. And should you ever get into a Trabant: in 4th gear you get no engine brake, it's freewheeling!
    - VBprogrammer 4y ago
      I originally said modern manual car but that felt like an oxymoron.
    - mauvehaus 4y ago
      That's common on cars with 2-stroke engines that are lubricated by oil in the fuel (like a chainsaw). If you don't freewheel it, there's not enough oil coming through the fuel system to lubricate the engine properly. Old Saabs with 2-stroke engines were like that too.
  - mauvehaus 4y ago
    As I understand it, matching revs makes for smoother shifting and reduces wear on the clutch plate. It also prevents a weight transfer from shifting, which is why Nissan did it in software on the 370Z. If you're about to fling a car into a corner, it behooves you to not upset the balance by shifting carelessly. Again, AIUI. I don't track anything. Double-clutching reduces the speed difference between the shafts that the synchros have to absorb, thereby reducing wear. It also lets you shift faster on track, or at all in a car with cranky synchros. The '86 BRAT I used to own was very leisurely about the 3-2 downshift without double clutching, and downright lethargic from 2-1. If you wanted to be ready to pull away from a stop sign promptly, double clutching it into 1st as you rolled to a stop was necessary. I can see shifting without the clutch adding wear to the synchros, but I've definitely had to do that too when the clutch went out on the '76 TR6 I used to own. Which admittedly had a very forgiving transmission, thank goodness. Meanwhile, I haven't put enough miles in our '47 CJ-2A to master a smooth 2-1 downshift without grinding the gears, even with double clutching. That promises to take some practice. Practice that'll have to wait until the steering is sorted well enough to get it inspected, plated, and get it up to 3rd on a paved road. 2nd gets it moving quite quickly enough, thank you very much. Rereading this before posting makes it sound like I've owned only terrible cars. I assert that they have character, and that's what matters. And only the BRAT was a daily driver. Apart from it, my daily drivers have all been pretty reliable and sensible cars.
technothrasher 4y ago
Yep, this "just start with the clutch pedal" method was how I was taught 35 years ago and it's how I just taught my neighbor's 17yo last year. I've taken my 16yo son out a couple times as well, but he honestly isn't all that into it.
gompertz 4y ago
I guess if your engine has enough torque you can get going in first with zero additional throttle... But having driven some serious clunkers myself, a lot of small engines cannot even get the vehicle going without adding a little throttle while letting out the clutch, and just stall.
- sokoloff 4y ago
  On level ground? If you could push the car, you ought to be able to get it started rolling without throttle. You just have to be willing to be abusive in slipping the clutch, which is fine for the short time you'll do while learning.
- nsxwolf 4y ago
  I had an 85 Honda Prelude and 88 Honda CRX and they both needed a little gas when you let off the clutch from a standstill or they’d die. My 2000 Miata could make it, but it would lurch and complain loudly.
  - jjav 4y ago
    To be clear, you don't let the clutch out for this exercise, that would indeed cause lurching or stalling. The idea is to very slowly feather it in and out at the edge of friction to transmit just enough power to slowly get going smoothly. I have an 88 CRX, it can easily get going with clutch alone.
    - nsxwolf 4y ago
      Mine was the “HF” model, which I think had less horsepower than the base or “Si” models. Could have been the difference?
      - lostlogin 4y ago
        It would seem more likely that you just don’t ride the clutch (usually a good thing). If you let it out fast you’d get a lurch, but letting it out as slowly as you can and sacrificing a bit of clutch would surely get the car moving slowly, whatever the power. Though if it isn’t flat, it wouldn’t work. More power or heavier flywheel would probably help.
xputer 4y ago
Yup this is basically how I was taught by my instructor in the Netherlands
spike021 4y ago
This is how I learned (via the Matt Farah videos on YouTube), basically. Just go somewhere quiet and flat and learn to get moving in first with just slipping the clutch. You should be able to feather it enough until you have sufficient momentum that you can ease off of it without ever using the gas, and bingo, you're in first gear. Not only is it fantastic for learning how to get into first, but it helps you learn your car's clutch bite point, which makes shifting into other gears even easier. I still had a horrible first drive from the dealer to the house, probably stalled 20 times (lots of small hills in Daly City, near SF) and annoyed some drivers behind me, but it worked out in the end.
- pwpw 4y ago
  That was a good video recommendation. I have a question. Let’s say you’re riding in 4th and need to come to a quick stop. Do you press the brake pedal in and downshift to 3rd then 2nd then 1st quickly? Or do you press the brake pedal and the clutch in and eventually shift into first once you’re able to resume normal driving?
  - AlbertCory 4y ago
    It's fun to do the former, but "quick stop" is not a good description (unless you're really quick)!
  - spike021 4y ago
    Depends on situation. If it's a quick stop then usually I'll just slow down and then clutch in and shift to neutral as the car stops. Then I shift into 1st. Sometimes this transition happens quickly, such as if it's red long enough that I'll be slowing to 5mph or less or it's red, then turns green right as I'm slowed to about 5mph. Just depends on the intersection, traffic, etc. If I'm slowing down to a red light that I know is about to change, or traffic is about to move, then yeah, I'll rev match downshift through the gears. I never really go into first in this case though, because my car's manual transmission is tuned such that you almost never need first except when you're going into motion from a complete stop; so I'd just downshift to 2nd or 3rd depending on the speed of traffic.
quickthrower2 4y ago
Ah new cars! Back in the day you need some gas or it is going to stall on clutch-only driving.
i_am_proteus 4y ago
This is essentially how the MSF beginner motorcycle course introduces the manual transmission.
ddingus 4y ago
I was shown that way basically. Works well in my view. Just need some room.

by tspike 4y ago

AlbertCory 4y ago

Good ideas. Watching the tach is pretty unintuitive for someone who's never driven one, too.

Wistar 4y ago

This is basically how I taught my son to drive a manual. I used a low-torque Toyota Corolla with a 5-speed manual. I found a large, flat area—a mega-church parking lot—and, in first gear, told him he can do whatever he wants, as long as he doesn't touch the throttle. He quickly discovered the point at which the clutch bit—began to engage—and learned to get the car rolling without killing the engine. After an hour or so, he had mastered the engaging the clutch and I began to add the next steps. A couple sessions and he had the whole thing down. Eventually I taught him how to double-clutch, rev-match when downshifting, and even how to float the shift with no clutch at all. Today he owns a manual trans performance car (Z06) and has a great fondness for manuals.

AlbertCory 4y ago
Heel-and-toe: a totally lost art. Not comfortable or even possible in a lot of cars.
- spike021 4y ago
  It's honestly not really necessary unless you're on the track. I will say I blip rev-match downshift on the street almost all the time, that's definitely useful for smooth driving in most scenarios.
  - hallway_monitor 4y ago
    I hope every manual driver does this. Forcing your clutch to rev match for you on every downshift seems like unnecessary wear. Plus it's so satisfying to just give a little blip and slip it in.
    - tempestn 4y ago
      And fun to practice getting them just right on the street anyway. It's something to do, if nothing else.
    - tempestn 4y ago
      My first car was a manual, but my parents never taught me about rev matching (probably didn't know themselves), so I had no idea. (This was in the 90s, before the modern internet!) Drove for years like that, until stumbling upon this "heel toe" thing online about 15 years ago. So I started just practicing on the street every time I drove. Which ended up being awesome, because around 5 years I got into track days, autocross, and time attack, and it ended up being an extremely useful skill. Once the muscle memory's there, it's almost easier on the track than on the street since you're deeper into the brakes. (Good on the street too though, to make your clutch last though.)
  - AlbertCory 4y ago
    what do you guys mean by "blip"? I'm not familiar with that term.
    - joecool1029 4y ago
      it means, in this context, to tap the accelerator (gas) pedal briefly to increase engine rpm's.
VBprogrammer 4y ago
> Eventually I taught him how to double-clutch, rev-match when downshifting, and even how to float the shift with no clutch at all. Most of these things are unnecessary and damaging to a synchronised manual. They aren't saving wear on any part of the transmission. About the only useful application of changing gear without using the clutch when the clutch cable fails. Unless you are in a manual American truck or a very old British one (the European trucks had synchros). Those are rapidly going to automated transmissions these days in any case.
- rzzzt 4y ago
  First gear and reverse are occasionally unsynchronized on old cars. And should you ever get into a Trabant: in 4th gear you get no engine brake, it's freewheeling!
  - VBprogrammer 4y ago
    I originally said modern manual car but that felt like an oxymoron.
  - mauvehaus 4y ago
    That's common on cars with 2-stroke engines that are lubricated by oil in the fuel (like a chainsaw). If you don't freewheel it, there's not enough oil coming through the fuel system to lubricate the engine properly. Old Saabs with 2-stroke engines were like that too.
- mauvehaus 4y ago
  As I understand it, matching revs makes for smoother shifting and reduces wear on the clutch plate. It also prevents a weight transfer from shifting, which is why Nissan did it in software on the 370Z. If you're about to fling a car into a corner, it behooves you to not upset the balance by shifting carelessly. Again, AIUI. I don't track anything. Double-clutching reduces the speed difference between the shafts that the synchros have to absorb, thereby reducing wear. It also lets you shift faster on track, or at all in a car with cranky synchros. The '86 BRAT I used to own was very leisurely about the 3-2 downshift without double clutching, and downright lethargic from 2-1. If you wanted to be ready to pull away from a stop sign promptly, double clutching it into 1st as you rolled to a stop was necessary. I can see shifting without the clutch adding wear to the synchros, but I've definitely had to do that too when the clutch went out on the '76 TR6 I used to own. Which admittedly had a very forgiving transmission, thank goodness. Meanwhile, I haven't put enough miles in our '47 CJ-2A to master a smooth 2-1 downshift without grinding the gears, even with double clutching. That promises to take some practice. Practice that'll have to wait until the steering is sorted well enough to get it inspected, plated, and get it up to 3rd on a paved road. 2nd gets it moving quite quickly enough, thank you very much. Rereading this before posting makes it sound like I've owned only terrible cars. I assert that they have character, and that's what matters. And only the BRAT was a daily driver. Apart from it, my daily drivers have all been pretty reliable and sensible cars.

technothrasher 4y ago

Yep, this "just start with the clutch pedal" method was how I was taught 35 years ago and it's how I just taught my neighbor's 17yo last year. I've taken my 16yo son out a couple times as well, but he honestly isn't all that into it.

gompertz 4y ago

I guess if your engine has enough torque you can get going in first with zero additional throttle... But having driven some serious clunkers myself, a lot of small engines cannot even get the vehicle going without adding a little throttle while letting out the clutch, and just stall.

sokoloff 4y ago
On level ground? If you could push the car, you ought to be able to get it started rolling without throttle. You just have to be willing to be abusive in slipping the clutch, which is fine for the short time you'll do while learning.
nsxwolf 4y ago
I had an 85 Honda Prelude and 88 Honda CRX and they both needed a little gas when you let off the clutch from a standstill or they’d die. My 2000 Miata could make it, but it would lurch and complain loudly.
- jjav 4y ago
  To be clear, you don't let the clutch out for this exercise, that would indeed cause lurching or stalling. The idea is to very slowly feather it in and out at the edge of friction to transmit just enough power to slowly get going smoothly. I have an 88 CRX, it can easily get going with clutch alone.
  - nsxwolf 4y ago
    Mine was the “HF” model, which I think had less horsepower than the base or “Si” models. Could have been the difference?
    - lostlogin 4y ago
      It would seem more likely that you just don’t ride the clutch (usually a good thing). If you let it out fast you’d get a lurch, but letting it out as slowly as you can and sacrificing a bit of clutch would surely get the car moving slowly, whatever the power. Though if it isn’t flat, it wouldn’t work. More power or heavier flywheel would probably help.

xputer 4y ago

Yup this is basically how I was taught by my instructor in the Netherlands

spike021 4y ago

This is how I learned (via the Matt Farah videos on YouTube), basically. Just go somewhere quiet and flat and learn to get moving in first with just slipping the clutch. You should be able to feather it enough until you have sufficient momentum that you can ease off of it without ever using the gas, and bingo, you're in first gear. Not only is it fantastic for learning how to get into first, but it helps you learn your car's clutch bite point, which makes shifting into other gears even easier. I still had a horrible first drive from the dealer to the house, probably stalled 20 times (lots of small hills in Daly City, near SF) and annoyed some drivers behind me, but it worked out in the end.

pwpw 4y ago
That was a good video recommendation. I have a question. Let’s say you’re riding in 4th and need to come to a quick stop. Do you press the brake pedal in and downshift to 3rd then 2nd then 1st quickly? Or do you press the brake pedal and the clutch in and eventually shift into first once you’re able to resume normal driving?
- AlbertCory 4y ago
  It's fun to do the former, but "quick stop" is not a good description (unless you're really quick)!
- spike021 4y ago
  Depends on situation. If it's a quick stop then usually I'll just slow down and then clutch in and shift to neutral as the car stops. Then I shift into 1st. Sometimes this transition happens quickly, such as if it's red long enough that I'll be slowing to 5mph or less or it's red, then turns green right as I'm slowed to about 5mph. Just depends on the intersection, traffic, etc. If I'm slowing down to a red light that I know is about to change, or traffic is about to move, then yeah, I'll rev match downshift through the gears. I never really go into first in this case though, because my car's manual transmission is tuned such that you almost never need first except when you're going into motion from a complete stop; so I'd just downshift to 2nd or 3rd depending on the speed of traffic.

quickthrower2 4y ago

Ah new cars! Back in the day you need some gas or it is going to stall on clutch-only driving.

i_am_proteus 4y ago

This is essentially how the MSF beginner motorcycle course introduces the manual transmission.

ddingus 4y ago

I was shown that way basically. Works well in my view. Just need some room.