Stick Shift Driving

NYC Driving Lessons

Finding places for Stick Shift Lessons

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Stick shift lessons are generally not as difficult as most people make them out to be. The preparation is very minimal. The skill itself isn’t hard to grasp, it just takes time and repetition to develop finesse. The first most important part when it comes to stick shift lessons is the location.

Key points

    • Avoid learning in parking lots or completely empty streets
    • Start in an area with wide roads and light traffic
    • Make sure there are streets where speeding up is acceptable
    • Pick out an area that is mostly flat, but has a range of hills not too far by
    • Make sure there are a lot of stop signs/lights around the area


Stick Shift Lessons



A lot of people want to start out in parking lots. People who are taking stick shift lessons already know the rules of the road and have general driving experience. The only way to really learn is to be put in a situation as realistic to actual driving conditions as possible. Taking away traffic or road rules is unrealistic! Look for wide, flat streets. Find an area that has hills and traffic signals close by. Hills are very important.

Make sure you’re comfortable in the place you’ve chosen. There are times when you’ll need to shift through the gears and practice down shifting. Have a long strip of road around for just that purpose. Progression should be made quickly. From starting to starting on hill, then downshifting and so on.


Stick shift lessons shouldn’t be done in very busy places. Even if it’s realistic, that’s an extreme. The idea is to keep yourself on your toes, not completely petrify you! You still need time to focus on what you’re doing, but still have the sensation of every day driving. Streets with cars parked on the is preferred because it makes learning parallel parking easier. Set the stages for your stick shift lessons and the rest will take care of itself!

Preparing to Drive Stick Shift

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Stick shift and automatic follow the same rules of the road. However, there are a few differences in stick shift driving that may have you feeling awkward.


Stick Shift Key Points

  • Having comfortable footwear is essential for handling the clutch
  • Seating position is important. You might have to move your seat up
  • Use the ball of your foot on the clutch to push it down
  • If you need to adjust your foot on the clutch, put the car in neutral first
  • Push the clutch down all the way until it hits the floor
  • Don’t lean your heel on the floor. Keep your foot lifted
  • The gas is more sensitive initially, until the clutch starts engaging

 

Stick Shift Preparation

The first thing you want to do before you even get into a stick shift car is making sure you’re wearing proper shoes. Sneakers work best. Often times, people will have a hard time with boots, flip flops and dress shoes. The clutch pedal itself is very awkward, so proper footwear is important.

The next most important thing is seating position. This is very important because of the clutch. You want to make sure you can go down on the clutch all the way until it can’t go anymore comfortably. Make sure you have your other foot down on the brakes when you go down on the clutch, just a good habit for safety. When pressing down on the clutch, use the ball of your foot. Get into the habit of having your foot lifted the entire time instead of resting your heel on the floor as you use the clutch.


Simple Things to Look out For

For a beginner driving stick shift, sometimes you will need to adjust your foot position on the clutch. If you find yourself holding the clutch down in an awkward position, just pop it out of gear and into neutral, adjust your foot and you’re ready to go!


When starting up on the gas, you will notice that the engine is extremely sensitive and will rev quickly. This is because the engine is not engaged to anything and has no force to pull yet. The more you come off the clutch,  the more friction, meaning the engine (gas pedal) will become less sensitive.

Driving manual transmission on open roads is not as dangerous for beginners as one would think. Traffic laws, distancing, etc is all the same on the road. Starting and stopping will be the main issue. Follow these few simple steps and make stick shift driving an easier task.

 

To learn more about a manual transmission, you can check out the stick shift wiki

Stick Shift Driving Lesson: Hill Starts

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Hill starts have to be the hardest skill to tackle for new stick shift drivers by far.  If pulling off from a dead stop wasn’t hard enough, add the pressure of rolling back and the feeling of losing control of the car………….Now that’s stressful for any beginner.

 

Key Points for Hill Starts

    • Don’t panic. Panic will get in the way of your concentration and create more room for error.
    • Don’t hesitate! The more you hesitate, the more time you allow for the car to roll back on a hill start!!
    • Come off of the clutch quickly into the friction point, but do not come off the clutch fully!
    • Hold your foot on the clutch at the friction point long enough for the car to pick up enough speed to avoid stalling.



Panic

Panic is probably the number one thing that makes hill starts for a beginner so hard. The idea of losing control and the sensation of “falling back” coming together make concentration really hard. The best way to eliminate the panic is to find a wide, clear hill with very little traffic and practice.

The last thing you want to do is probably going to be the first thing you’re going to do out of reflex. Slamming on the gas and popping of the clutch is the worst thing you can do. Giving the car excessive gas won’t help stop the roll back because the clutch isn’t engaged yet. Popping off the clutch quickly will engage the clutch quick, but the clutch to gas ratio is out of balance so the car will jolt forward and the wheels will probably skid.

 

Hesitation



Hesitation is the second reflex to get rid of. Since adding excess gas and popping of the clutch made the car jump forward uncomfortably, now there is hesitation. The second to last thing you want to do is to come off the clutch VERY slowly while increasing the gas excessively. You’ll quickly notice that no matter how much gas you give it, the car will not go anywhere. That’s because the clutch isn’t engaged so the car can’t go anywhere.

 

Starting Smoothly on a Hill

Getting a smooth hill start with a stick shift car takes time and practice. The time to learn it can be cut down drastically with the proper techniques to practice.

The key is to come off the clutch into the catch point quickly and without hesitation. The catch point is the point of release on the clutch where the car starts to react (move, shutter, etc). Once at the friction point, you should hold your foot there until the car gains some speed before letting the clutch go completely.


The gas is very important in this picture. Gas should be applied before reaching the friction point so the reaction of the car at the friction point is more efficient.

Don’t worry so much about giving it a lot of gas or too little at the moment. As you get better, you will naturally find the right balance of gas. For now, just focus on climbing the hill with little to no rolling.

You can check out more about Hill Starts at this site for a different opinion.

Quick. Catch. Hold……Success!

 

Stick Shift Driving in Extreme Weather

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Driving stick shift in heavy snow, rain or wind can be dangerous if not done correctly. If driven  correctly, a manual transmission car can be more effective than an automatic car in extreme weather.

 

Down Shifting

Downshifting can be very helpful in slick conditions. For example; if the road is snowy and you find yourself going down a hill, downshifting gently and progressively is an easier way to slow the car down than stepping on the brakes. Stepping on the brakes can possibly cause the wheels to lock and for you to lose control.

Granted, if you downshift too abruptly, you can also cause the wheels to lose traction and control. The trick is to be comfortable with the clutch and the gear box.

 

Pulling Off

Pulling off in severe weather is generally easier in stick shift vehicles because you can control the acceleration to a higher degree in a manual car. Just letting off the clutch slightly until the car begins to react can help you crawl out of snow and ice more effectively than releasing the brake in an automatic car.


While there are advantages to driving stick shift in extreme conditions, there is still a bigger learning curve than automatic driving. Being proficient in stick shift driving is the first step before being able to handle extreme conditions more effectively.

The advantage is definitely there. It’s up to you to learn what it takes!