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Heel and toe technique

Joined
29 October 2013
Messages
414
Location
NJ
As a new owner with limited experience, I'm having some trouble heel toe-ing in the NSX. For starters, the footbox is so narrow, and the pedals are pretty close. In my Prelude, instead of an actual heel/toe I would just roll the right side of my foot over the gas and that worked perfectly. In the NSX that doesn't work too well since the brake pedal is a little higher than the gas (closer to the driver) so I can't blip the gas down enough. I can't do a proper heel toe since my heel will overshoot the gas, it's more like a heel/ball of the foot. I watched a lot of videos including Senna who does the foot rolling. Is that what you guys are doing? I guess it will take some time to get used to this technique... FWIW I have narrow feet and wear a size 9.

Any tips are appreciated!
 
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I find it easier than with my Prelude - i have small feet too and with the Lude i would need an L-shaped extender on the gas pedal otherwise i'd step through. So easy that on my first tries i gave way too much gas. I guess you got used to it ;) changing a mechanical habit is tough.
 
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I have 11.5 shoes so I can do either method. I did add pedal covers that extend the gas pedal over towards the brake to make the heal part possible.

Dave
 
I was able to do the heel toe method this past weekend at Buttonwillow. In my Mazda the pedals are close enough that I do the ball of the foot rolling technique. I'm not able to do that in the NSX because the stock pedals are too far apart (my foot just rolls into the gap). Finally just forced myself into learning heel-toe by turning my foot and leg to get it (with the toe heavy on the brake and the heel blimping the throttle).
Practice, practice, practice is all I got to say. I haven't quite perfected it in the NSX, but I'm much better now.
My shoe size is men's 11, btw.

This is how I do it in my NSX (Skip to 26:00)
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/VstzlUWZnOI?start=1560" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
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Heel/toe is kinda a misnomer, agreed. I use the ball of my foot and the right side of the same foot. I typically wear 9W-10W flip flops when driving.
 
I struggle with this technique especially with the NSX. In my brother's s2000, I can heel and toe no problem, but in the NSX, the gas pedal is not positioned the same way. The throttle is difficult to reach with my heel. The only success I've had is to be pretty hard on the brake and blip the throttle with an exaggerated motion of the heel. Wearing the right shoes helps a little too. Like mentioned before, it takes practice.

I wear a size 7.5.
 
I have no problem with my Miatas but I had to get pedal covers with the small extensions on the gas pedal to reach, even with 8.5 EEEE shoes. I got Momo pedal covers, problem solved. It's actually even too tight in there now, but I'm used to it.
 
I started practicing a year or two ago -It was hard to lean after 3o plus years of not doing it. Now it is natural for every shift on track though I need to get more consistent with the size of the blip on the throttle. I probably did 250-300 clover leafs [[exit ramps] too. Instructors taught me to downshift at the last moment, after all major braking is done, let's say, from 4th to third, so the rpm's in 4th are pretty low and the corresponding blip isn't so dramatic. The easy way to start is just on the street, maybe at 40mph in fourth and just touch the brake - rotate and either blip with the ball or heel and gently go into third [ and at the end of the exercise you are doing 35mph]. I have found that on the street I can do it with the ball of my foot but on the track, the forces are much too high and I need my whole foot on the brakes, so it's with the heel. I also had to mod the pedals - SOS pedals and then a bunch of homemade aluminum for the throttle. see pic - Happy Motoringphoto (11).jpg
 

I thought the same thing but I found that when you're really driving hard and putting a lot of pressure on the brake setting up for a corner you'll find the NSX pedals are almost perfectly set up for a true heel jab on the throttle while pushing on the brake with the ball of the foot. On the street with light brake pressure, not so much, the throttle pedal will be a bit far away.
 
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I have big feet and slightly bowed legs, which may explain things [ see wear mark on clutch pedal ].
On the plus side it leaves me room in the shorts.
 
I'm on my third set of modified pedal covers. First too narrow... Then too wide, and now just right. I do it with the ball, with my foot doing a sideways motion. You have to practice and probably modify the pedals to where they work for you.
 
I have a difficult time with it period. It's rarely ever a perfect downshift. I'm either revving it too much or not enough.

Great feeling when done right but frustrating when it's not smooth.
 
For the NSX I found it was easier to tilt my foot and use the side than to spin and stab with my heel Drift King style.
 
Will, how are you gauging how much throttle to input? By the tach or sound of the engine?
 
Engine sound mostly, but that blue box in front of the tach had the more accurate numbers and a shift flash setting.. the OEM tach was off about 400rpm. The car had a built valve train and kpro so it was fine up to around 9.5k. knowing this I started using heavy engine braking over phil hill and around Sunset corner to rotate the car but keep the revs up on exit :] . im sure the shocklload wasn't great for the clutch but it sure was fun to drive it like RWD. [MENTION=4055]Ponyboy[/MENTION]
 
Personally, I find the heel toe absolutely perfect in my NSX but I never drive my car with shoes.

Edit: Size 10.
 
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'Pretty sure I started to learn heel/toe after watching Tsuchiya-san on BMI, so my style is pretty close to the style shown in that video. I purposefully start braking with a little pigeon-toe on my right foot so there's less rotation to do in order to poke the gas pedal with my heel. 'Never had a problem with in. 'Size 8 and limber ankles from 20 years of soccer, lol.
 
'Pretty sure I started to learn heel/toe after watching Tsuchiya-san on BMI, so my style is pretty close to the style shown in that video. I purposefully start braking with a little pigeon-toe on my right foot so there's less rotation to do in order to poke the gas pedal with my heel. 'Never had a problem with in. 'Size 8 and limber ankles from 20 years of soccer, lol.

Soccer may have limbered up your ankles, but 40 plus years of soccer and tending net in hockey has sure done the opposite to my hips!
 
Soccer may have limbered up your ankles, but 40 plus years of soccer and tending net in hockey has sure done the opposite to my hips!

Yeah, 'played D3 college ball and then decided to quit while I was ahead. I'm too competitive for my own good. Much less likely to do my knees in driving and playing the odd round of disc golf :)
 
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