left footed braking help
07-16-2017, 11:05 AM
#16
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futurz makes a great point. In thinking about my learning process (and it was a process that took 2 years of street driving before I felt moderately comfortable to apply on track) was to think hard about the bio-mechanics in my left leg. What I realized is that to push the clutch I articulate my knee and keep the ankle relatively fixed; when I hit the brake, I need to keep my knee fixed and articulate the ankle. futurz' hockey puck is a simple device to allow the ankle to articulate for the braking function. Very clever!
07-16-2017, 09:21 PM
#17
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If you are not used to it, learning is a bit like rubbing your stomach and patting your head at the same time. You can learn to do this and practice makes it easier.
I have always had a pure muscle memory habit of tapping the brake pedal with my left foot just to keep system pressurized, know that its there and blah blah blah.
Even a short squirt such as between T1-T2 at Sebring I do this. That helped me to feel comfortable using my left foot if not to best effect.
But with that in mind I have been working on using my left foot more and more. First where a caress is only required such as T11 at WGI and then increasingly with more force where brake is appropriate but no shift. I have by no means mastered this. But what I am describing is the way I have been teaching myself. Start with a caress.
The habit of tapping my brake with my left foot any even the shortest straight helped to give me the muscle memory to be comfortable with my left foot.
I have always had a pure muscle memory habit of tapping the brake pedal with my left foot just to keep system pressurized, know that its there and blah blah blah.
Even a short squirt such as between T1-T2 at Sebring I do this. That helped me to feel comfortable using my left foot if not to best effect.
But with that in mind I have been working on using my left foot more and more. First where a caress is only required such as T11 at WGI and then increasingly with more force where brake is appropriate but no shift. I have by no means mastered this. But what I am describing is the way I have been teaching myself. Start with a caress.
The habit of tapping my brake with my left foot any even the shortest straight helped to give me the muscle memory to be comfortable with my left foot.
07-17-2017, 10:48 AM
#18
In thinking about my learning process (and it was a process that took 2 years of street driving before I felt moderately comfortable to apply on track) was to think hard about the bio-mechanics in my left leg. What I realized is that to push the clutch I articulate my knee and keep the ankle relatively fixed; when I hit the brake, I need to keep my knee fixed and articulate the ankle.
Biomechanically that makes perfect sense!!
You've hit my issue on the nail and now I have a place to start.
Thanks.
07-17-2017, 03:57 PM
#19
A couple of "mechanical" things that might help (did for me...):
Left foot habit is probably to be on the dead pedal, then come over to the clutch and jam it down hard and fast. Your left heel is probably up in the air, especially if it is a racing clutch with a long throw. The way you carefully modulate throttle or brake with the right foot is probably with your heel on the floor. Left heel on the floor means you can delicately modulate with the ball of your foot, just flexing at the ankle versus your whole leg hovering (and bouncing around due to track features).
Second, after getting your heel on the floor, is to lock your left knee against your right knee. This makes the left leg completely immobile, so only the foot movement gets to the brake pedal. Kind of like shooting from a sitting position - you want to get any extraneous movement locked out. From a muscle memory standpoint, brake is very different from clutch; clutch is a stomp, for braking, the leg comes over, heel and knee lock, and then it is a very delicate application.
Last is right foot position. If your right heel is in front of the brake, and you rotate your right foot to operate the throttle, your right foot is in the way of left foot braking. Easiest if right foot heel is in front of the accelerator pedal, and you rotate the foot left for right foot braking. This leaves the area in front of the brake reserved for the heel of your left foot.
...and then practice, and try not to crash...
Left foot habit is probably to be on the dead pedal, then come over to the clutch and jam it down hard and fast. Your left heel is probably up in the air, especially if it is a racing clutch with a long throw. The way you carefully modulate throttle or brake with the right foot is probably with your heel on the floor. Left heel on the floor means you can delicately modulate with the ball of your foot, just flexing at the ankle versus your whole leg hovering (and bouncing around due to track features).
Second, after getting your heel on the floor, is to lock your left knee against your right knee. This makes the left leg completely immobile, so only the foot movement gets to the brake pedal. Kind of like shooting from a sitting position - you want to get any extraneous movement locked out. From a muscle memory standpoint, brake is very different from clutch; clutch is a stomp, for braking, the leg comes over, heel and knee lock, and then it is a very delicate application.
Last is right foot position. If your right heel is in front of the brake, and you rotate your right foot to operate the throttle, your right foot is in the way of left foot braking. Easiest if right foot heel is in front of the accelerator pedal, and you rotate the foot left for right foot braking. This leaves the area in front of the brake reserved for the heel of your left foot.
...and then practice, and try not to crash...
I went through the left foot braking training a while ago and thought i was getting pretty good at it until I had an incident wherein I had to react quickly, and the left foot quickly became a club. Net result was poor modulation and the Miata headed straight for the tirewall. From then on out I gave it up unless it was a fast sweeper where just a brush of the brakes was required. This is way easier than threshold braking with left foot, IMO.
It's risk reward: if you are old like me and driving is not your career, I'd be inclined to stay with RFB.
07-17-2017, 04:27 PM
#20
WRONGLY ACCUSED!
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My left foot braking attempts yield me 5% brake pressure or 100% brake pressure. There appears to be no in between for me.
07-18-2017, 04:31 PM
#21
I mentioned in other thread but for reundancy sake...
I only LFB in my pdk Cayman -racing or de - and also my f150 but not my 997.2 c2s that is a manual so no go
I learned by deciding one weekend to never ever touch the brake w my right foot. led to some interesting learning experiences, some toasted brake pads.... but it's like breathing now and i can be subtle, threshold, trail, whatever, it's all good
you can do it just make the switch and suffer for a weekend or two
every DTM driver LFBs so it MUSt be faster hahaha!
I only LFB in my pdk Cayman -racing or de - and also my f150 but not my 997.2 c2s that is a manual so no go
I learned by deciding one weekend to never ever touch the brake w my right foot. led to some interesting learning experiences, some toasted brake pads.... but it's like breathing now and i can be subtle, threshold, trail, whatever, it's all good
you can do it just make the switch and suffer for a weekend or two
every DTM driver LFBs so it MUSt be faster hahaha!
07-18-2017, 04:35 PM
#22
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Yet Andy Lally and many other top pros dont.
So again, IMO, its. Matter of individual preference
So again, IMO, its. Matter of individual preference
07-18-2017, 05:33 PM
#24
I'm in....
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I think what helped me the most was the 6 months that I had a screwed up right foot. I had to do everything in a street car with my left, including the gas. It took a while to get that smooth but now they work almost the same.
07-19-2017, 09:07 AM
#25
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Originally Posted by Fumes
i was joking - hence the "hahaha" 
