when we go make the turn, you don't need to break? just keep the foot in the clutch and start rev matching?

As you're approaching your cornering speed shift down to the gear you're going to use, and then when you're done braking, immediately reengage the clutch while blipping the throttle. You should be done with your braking so you don't need to heel toe. It shouldn't take more than a moment to reengage.

Go to Youtube and watch some racing or racing instruction videos - you should see the gear selection and clutching all done before going into the corner. It's not going to matter at normal street speeds, but it doesn't seem good form to engage a clutch in the middle of the corner, and freewheeling just means you're not ready to accelerate out of the corner.

The FRS was also my first stick shift car. I've had it for 4 months now and loving it!
With that being said.....
Would anyone mind giving me a better understanding of what rev match and heel toe downshifting is,?? Lol Thanks!

1) I would recommend just pushing the clutch in as you slow down, and stick it into the gear you need and slowly release the clutch (so that it doesn't jerk) before you turn so that you are in gear and don't have to worry about it in the turn. As you get better, you can practice rev matching which is good in those situations but that would be too stressful to learn from the start and you might screw up big time.

2) When reversing, I just take it super slow slipping the clutch and hardly use any throttle, if any. So reverse is mostly clutch action (easing in and out) and you have to be very gentle if you use throttle.

3) Slow down to a crawl, then accelerate slightly when going over them. This will minimize the chance of scrapping the front end. Don't brake as you cross over them.

Things I always tell people to keep in mind when learning to drive a manual:

- Only use first gear when stopped. Otherwise stay in second gear. In some cases you should use first if you're barely moving but most of the time 1st is just for setting off.

- Be suuuper gentle with the clutch and throttle. If you get too ancy with either, you will mess up. Also, there's no need to shift the shifter fast and hard. Some people shift so hard, you can hear it grind. Just be smooth and gentle with everything and it'll eventually feel more natural and you'll gain more speed while still being gentle on everything.

- Leave it in gear when cruising off throttle. Only take it out of gear when you need to (to prevent stalling). There is no advantage to taking it out of gear when moving and you'd be doing more harm than good.

And yeah, just give it time. It'll come to you. And it'll be much more fun and rewarding than an automatic. If you get good enough, you can even shift smoother than an automatic.

Rev match/heel and toe is when you slide the heel of your foot over to the throttle while braking to blip it up to the proper revs so that it goes into the lower gear more smoothly and quicker. If you are driving aggressively and downshift quickly without doing this, it will cause shock to the drivetrain and be rough on your clutch. It's a good thing to learn but can take quite a bit of practice to get it right.

Not sure if this has been stated, but I'll just throw my input. It maybe useful and I would like to advice myself =).

When approaching a right turn (green light right turn, not stop and go), no matter what gear you're I do the following:
1 - begin to decelerate
2 - while decelerating I watch the speed of the car clutch in and down shift to 3rd, then let the clutch bite, and slowly lift up (like i'm upshifting)
3 - still riding the brake, I watch the speed a bit more and the road, clutch in and down shift to 2nd, let the clutch bite and slowly lift up (just like upshifting)
4 - while in second, I should be in the beginning of my turn, I begin to step on my accelerator and speed into the turn
5 - as I exit the turn, I let go of the accelerator, clutch in, shift into 3rd, let the clutch bite, then slowly let out -- then I go on my merry way.

this is how I approach a turn. Stop Sign I kind of ride the clutch a bit in 2nd or in 1st, depending on the situation.

ah, lol guess I should have made it a little clearer, that was just for him to practice downshifting until he's comfortable. Once he gets that down he can just decelerate and go from 5th to 3rd or 2nd when you know where the shift points / rpms should be. :)

when turning without stopping, if you feel like your car is choking and ready to die step on the clutch. its all about clutch control. keep playing with it.

You should practice heel - toe shifting. It's a technique that takes practice, but you can practice your foot placement while sitting parked.

here's an article: http://initiald-video4fun.blogspot.c...ting-your.html

It's a more effective way of taking a corner and putting yourself in the right gear to smoothly enter and exit a corner in the power band


Watch a bunch of videos on youtube, and perhaps some Initial D stage 1 episodes to get the picture of what you're supposed to do.

The most important point is, whatever your speed, NEVER BRAKE over a sharp bump, be it a speed bump or the ubiquitous, decaying railroad crossings. GET YOUR FOOT OFF THE BRAKE! 'Cuz you can break expensive bits, otherwise. Let your suspension do its job, which it cannot do well when it's compressed under braking. This applies anywhere, anytime.

Brakes ON, fully OFF over any bump, then brakes ON as needed.

Apart from that, I brake as needed to reduce my speed to a gentle crawl before the speed bump, de-clutch, and roll quietly over the bump, and after my rear wheels have cleared it, I re-engage my clutch and motor onwards. I prefer to avoid sending that herky-jerky, lurching motion through my whole drivetrain.

After 50+ years of driving only a manual, I can't even put 'how' into words. It's like trying to describe how to breathe...

This whole post is a much better response to the OP's question than I would have ever expected.

You're telling a New manual driver to watch Initial D to get an idea of how to drive? It's like you want him to go out there and kill someone. Also, why do people always tell new drivers they need to learn how to heel-toe?! Terrible advice. Those new drivers then waste time researching and practicing stuff they will hardly ever need in real life daily driving.

Sounds simple, but it took me a long time to realize you can just hit the brake when in a gear (you don't have to downshift). Not that I didn't KNOW that, it just doesn't feel intuitive at first.

Slowing down into a corner - downshift before the corner and take the corner in the lower gear or just use the brake in the gear you're in. 5th to 2nd is a pretty big distance. Why not try 5th to 3rd? Won't be as hard on the transmission, won't be as jerky, and will still be low enough to accelerate smoothly out of the corner.

Reverse - riding is OK for short distances. If you have to back up a long way (like a long driveway), just fully engage reverse and use the brake lightly to regulate speed.