Clutching technique

[Rel44 M3]

Okay, guys, just wondering here... how do you guys engage the clutch? Do you use your ankle, ie. swivel your foot by the ankle to engage the clutch then lift your leg up, or just use the whole leg in one fluid motion? I use my whole leg whereas a couple of my buddies use their ankle first. They claim that the ankle way provides quicker shifts.

[FLiPModE]

I dont exactly know what you mean by swivel, but doesn't it make more sense that "one motion is faster than two"? I THINK I just do the leg thing, and I can do it in a blink.

[Rel44 M3]

Like, your heel is planted and you just raise your foot by swiveling at the ankle (like the damper pedal on a piano). Then after that you lift your leg. I think one movement's better than two also, but I think I'll give the other way a try after work.

[bungy42]

Definitely go with the whole leg. I don't really have enough strength in my calf to apply the clutch just using by pivoting my ankle. Try watching Speedvision. Every now and then they'll show the driver's feet.

[Rel44 M3]

Shhh, don't tell anybody here, but.... I don't have Speedvision. :eek: I doubt I'll change my method but I figure I'll try out the ankle thing just to see.

[Russell328is]

In my opinion, using the foot is much better than the leg, and safer too. During hard cornering or dips and rises, it's hard to keep your leg in place if it's not anchored, which is why you should plant your heels (for accelerator, brake, and clutch) and move the foot from the ankle. Also, from a leverage perspective, you can make much quicker and more accurate movements with your foot than with your entire leg.

[Rel44 M3]

But I mean you have to lift you leg anyways... well I guess since I'm used to the whole leg method it's hard for me to imagine. But I'll try it and see how it feels. How do driving instructors teach it (if they teach it at all)?

[mrclam]

is it just me or are m3 clutch pedal travels incredible long? i dont' tihnk my foot could do the job period.....not quickly

[Bry]

I think it is better to use your whole leg. The reason why I say this is because when you swivel your ankle, and then pull up, your heel can get stuck on the carpet, causing you to then pull harder, then you dump the clutch, and the car dies. When using one leg motion, it is a smoother motion and can be done quicker (in my opinion).

Using your whole leg makes your leg muscles lopsided though! Your left leg starts getting stronger than your right. That is why you need to go home and lift weights!

[Rel44 M3]

Yeah M3 clutch pedal travel is pretty long, but I think it matches the throw of the shifter. Anyway, I tried it this afternoon and I think I could do it, but I'd seriously have to get used to it. I can still shift more smoothly and quickly using my whole leg in one fluid motion.

[Rel44 M3]

Originally posted by Bry
The reason why I say this is because when you swivel your ankle, and then pull up, your heel can get stuck on the carpet, causing you to then pull harder

Actually that happened to me a couple times this afternoon when I was trying it. Got my heel caught in the carpet, almost killed the engine a couple times. Never again...

[Russell328is]

If you're worried about travel, just get a clutch stop. I can do all shifts with my ankle without killing anything. But to each his own.

[Rel44 M3]

I think if I tried I could get used to the whole ankle motion with some practice. But I'm still concerned about getting my heel caught in the carpet. Russell, do you ever have that problem?

[Bry]

Yes, when ever I use the ankle motion, my foot always gets stuck, and I almost kill the car. I have actually killed it twice trying this. I like the whole leg motion much better. I have talked to a couple of people, and they use the whole leg. So, I am sticking to what they use!

[Bob ///M3]

Here I am sitting at my desk acting like I'm driving a damn car and trying to figure out what the hell I do when I let the clutch out! :strech:

I think I know now! After I released my make-belief clutch no less than a hundred times I think I can say that I use a combination of foot and leg! I think when I first release the clutch it is done with the ball of my foot lifting by itself and then a movement of the entire leg.

Then again, I may be so confused now I won't even make it to the office tomorrow morning because I'll conk it out so many times thinking about it! :az:

Why did I read this thread? :dazeda:

Bob ///M3

[Rel44 M3]

Haha, Bob, I tried the other way in a parking lot. I don't know how far I would've made it on the street using the other technique. :stickoutt

[Bob ///M3]

Boy, was I wrong! On the way to the office this morning I figured out what technique I really use to release the clutch pedal. I use a firm ankle and leg movement. If there is any "foot only" movement it is virtually non-existent if any at all.

It's strange how we don't realize what we really do because of habit.

Bob ///M3

[Russell328is]

Hmm... I'll check it today. I could be wrong. Probably foot and leg, but I remember consciously deciding not to use my leg as much because of the instability issue.

[Rel44 M3]

I'm thinking if it's just the foot-ankle thing that your left calf would be tremendously huge compared to your right one. For me, I think my calves are of equal proportions but I noticed my left thigh might be a little bigger than my right thigh...

[Bry]

The reason why I remember is because I was paying attention to my clutching habits not to long ago, I wanted to make sure I had a smooth follow through. Some people may find it easier to use their ankle, but I think the whole leg movement is a lot easier!

[Russell328is]

Well, I have huge calve muscles on both sides, so this shouldn't be relevant.

I did notice today, however, that I do use my leg and not my ankle at all to put in the clutch, but for the sensitive motion involved in letting out the clutch to start, I use my ankle until the car is basically in gear, then I have to lift my leg to clear the top of the pedal's travel.

So there.

[Dark Helmet]

Food for Thought.....

for 99.999999999% of us, we use a compound motion (unless clutch-stop is in use).

we use both our ankle and our "leg." actually all three joints--hip, knee, ankle. this allows for the quickest full movement as you are attacking the "travel" in three different ways. Each joint is moving to move the pedal, and they are all moving at the same time. As such, they can complete the distance to travel much quicker. the compound motion also allows us to tackle the arced travel of hte pedal more effectively, giving us an "optimum" angle of attack at all times.

as far as shifting quickly... you only need the pedal down long enough and far enough to move the level into the next slot....you should have pulled it from its previous position teh instant you began your shift....i show you sometime.

[mrclam]

i have a clutch stop and this is basically waht i do
clutch in
i use my whole leg to do this
use the ball of my foot to let off the clutch until i feel the car in gear
then as stated by others before i use my whole legs to move off the clutch

if i remember right your foot should rest on the clutch so the whole using your ankle only deal would probably take excessive effort to do?

[Rel44 M3]

Originally posted by Russell328is
Well, I have huge calve muscles on both sides, so this shouldn't be relevant

Heh heh, a lot of stairmaster I presume?

Anyway, I noticed that I have my foot extended when I depress the clutch all the way down, and when I release the clutch I pull the whole leg up, but I curl my foot back in during the motion of pulling my leg up, so that everything's kind of retracting at the same time. I hope that makes sense... :) And dasmafia, I notice that I do shift at the same time I begin to push the clutch in so that by the time the shift is done I've just let the clutch out. That's why I think the long clutch throw matches the long shifter throw. So if I get a shortshifter I'll get a matching clutch stop. :D