I'm just now starting to understand how to do heel-toe downshifts.

 

It just takes practice. I had it down w/ the S2000, then it was hard w/ the Cayman. Got that down w/ practice. It felt damn near impossible w/ the Miata at first due to ltd. legroom and tight footwells, got it down now.

Just keep at it!

 

I do this also. It is the best way. I find my hip hurts if I heal-toe properly.

 

gosh, you guys are making heel toe out to be a science. I find it pretty simple, I can spend weekends at the track with 4/20 min sessions each day, heel toe the entire time and pretty much not miss a beat (knocks on wood). I have never had any hip/leg issues at all. The only thing I noticed is if my seat is not in the right possition my knee hits the steering wheel sometimes.

The key to doing it smooth and well is practice on the street, every chance you get. Also for me it works best if I have the shifter out of gear at the gate of the next gear, then blip and let the shifter fall down into the next gear when the rpms are right as they go up. By the time they come back down to the right spot again the clutch is out.

It should go like this: brake, clutch goes in, as the clutch goes in you are pulling it out of gear and holding it at the gate of the next gear (the key is just the right amount of pressure that it does not go into that gear until the rpms are right), blip throttle, shifter falls into gear as the rpms are right going up, clutch comes out as the rpms are right going down. This process makes it alot easier to add in the double clutch if you are concerned with syncro life.

 

Actually, Ive watched several drift videos and saw that a good number of them use that technique to moderate the throttle position. I still can't get it smoothly and can't really do it on teh street, but the time I think of what to do I'm already stopped. From what I understand about it and what my friends tell me, at the track is differnet and easier since you really can jump on the brakes bringing the pedals to a much easier postion to heel toe which I can attest when I do my stress release runs through the hills.

 

Yeah, I test drove a Cayman and gave the heel-toe a shot and I was kinda surprised how hard it was. It seems like the accelerator pivots from the bottom, which makes the heel-punch technique hard.

 

Try changing the position of your seat. At first it was difficult for me as well, so I slid the seat further back. I practiced and gradually began sliding my seat up to where I normally like to sit. Now heel-toeing is much easier. Just something that worked for me. Good luck .

 

For me, I keep the heel of my right foot at the bottom of the gas pedal and just pivot my foot (as if it's kind of pigeon toed) to be able to hit the brakes with the ball of my foot. I tried the other way but I had trouble regulating pressure on the brake pedal with the heel of my foot. I can blip the gas with my heel no problem.

 

I am also in the big feet/outside edge of the foot camp. (Size 12) I can really only do it smoothly while I'm breaking pretty hard. Otherwise I have time (say when making a normal right turn onto a side street from normal traffic speed) to take my foot of the brake, match revs, and continue braking. I practiced rev matching first before I added the heal toe step. Either way is fine as long as you can maintain constant brake pressure and match revs accurately.
-James

BTW: Edmunds seems to endorse the outside edge of the foot technique as well:http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/how...2/article.html.

 

I actually find it easier to pick my foot up off the floor just a little. It makes it easier to "turn" my foot.

I am sure most of you have seen this video but it does have a perfect veiw of his feet in action.

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-76...894830688&hl=en

Kevin