Just wondering, those of you that practice heel/toe downshifting in your TSX, do you use the ball/side of your foot or ball/heel? I've been working on this a lot and for me, the ball/heel method just seems to work a lot better, even though it was initially more difficult. I've read a lot of things that recommend the side of foot method, but I find that awkward in the TSX. I don't have small feet (size 11E), but I find that it's too easy to miss the gas pedal when rolling my foot. Plus I find if I'm using my heel on the gas, I can modulate the brakes more precisely. What do you do?

 

I thought it's heel and toe. Why ball/heel? My ball can't reach that far...

 

Not that ball Helico...

Here's my foot position for heel toe (Helico art style):



Check out this guide on the topic when you get some time: http://www.modernracer.com/tips/heelandtoeshifting.html

 

My balls can't reach that far either ....





Seriously though, usually when I'm heel/toeing (my friends do this too since I've taught them the same method), I usually put my heel on the gas pedal, and my toe along with part of the ball of my foot directly below my big toe on the brake pedal. I just get a see saw action going between both pedals with that one foot.

Edit: Dan bet me too it, ya that's exactly how it's positioned.

 

im going to destroy my car trying to learn this :-\

 

I've always used the side of my foot. When I test drove the 6MT, I didn't find it too difficult to heel/toe and I'm a size 10.5. In fact, I find that the TSX pedal position is as good if not better than the pedal positions from when I had my Integra.

 

Usually I use the side of the foot, but sometimes, though less and less, I'll use the heel. I first learned by using the heel.

 

Depends on the pedal setup in the car, the size of your feet, and the position of the steering wheel...and what is more comfortable. In the end if you can smoothly brake, while blipping the throttle, it really doesn't matter how your feet are positioned. In my car the steering wheel is so close to my legs I have to put the left edge of my right foot on the brake pedal and roll my ankle to cath the gas pedal. Luckily the pedal box in the Miata is well set up for this. The right shoes make heel/toe much easier! I've found indoor soccer shoes to be my favorite driving footwear, and my cowboy boots to be I missed timed a shift in them once, and broke the back end lose. Thankfully the Miata is easy to catch.

/bill

 

I have a terrible time heel toeing in the tsx, I can do it fine in other cars especially my roomie's Prelude. I put the ball of my foot on the brake and the heel at the bottom of the pedal, I don't use the side of my foot.

My only guess is that w/ the pedal coming off the floor instead of up top, it takes slightly more force to press it (like pushing on a door at the hinge). I haven't practiced enough to find a better technique though.

 

Yeah...definately more difficult to do with the TSX cause of the way it functions...

 

This is why the side of the foot works better with the TSX pedal setup. Give it a try.

 

I heel/toe using the ball of my foot on the brake and the right side and the gas. I've never had a problem and I wear a size 13. You can heel/toe using your heel if you want, but it's not necessary because the gas pedal is floor mounted.

 

i don't use my heel at all... well not on any of the pedals... it serves as the pivot point.

half of my foot is on the brake and the other is on the gas. this works fine for me.

 

Thanks for the input. I'd prefer to use the side method, but it feels to me that the spacing b/t brake and gas is a bit too wide - either I feel like I don't have a solid grip on the brake or when I'm solid on the brake, I miss the gas entirely when I roll my foot over. I agree that because of the bottom hinged accelerator, it needs a fair bit of force when pressed with the heel.

I think another reason I seem to be favouring the heel method is that I can be more consistent with it when wearing different shoes. Some shoes I have just don't work well for the side method. I kind of had to re-train myself to use my heel, in my previous cars I used the side method. That's why I was wondering what other people were finding.

 

I have the same problem with this method. And when I try to do the true heel style, my heel ends up on the hinge of the gas pedal and it won't move.