Articles on left foot breaking vs right foot breaking

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i use right foot in street cars in GT5 / iRacing (or cars with a street tranny)
However, when i use a car with a straight-cut gear box (racing tranny), i switch over to LFB. (This applies to a street car where i upgrade it to a racing tranny)
 
To be honest you should not use it for the most part. There are circumstances in which LFB will be useful like mid corner and in entry when you need to make adjustments to the balance of your car but with enough practice you should be able to use RFB so quickly that it would not matter much.

I use it in the second turn of the lightning raceway in NJMP because the turn is almost a smooth double apex but you need to do a little bit of LFB to go through it smoothly
 
albteman015
To be honest you should not use it for the most part. There are circumstances in which LFB will be useful like mid corner and in entry when you need to make adjustments to the balance of your car but with enough practice you should be able to use RFB so quickly that it would not matter much.

I use it in the second turn of the lightning raceway in NJMP because the turn is almost a smooth double apex but you need to do a little bit of LFB to go through it smoothly
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Telling someone how they should drive normally doesn't bode well. People will figure out what works best for them.
Me: I use LFB most often because i can keep myself from having blips in brake pressure and i lose control less often. I also go faster when i LFB.
Some people are faster with RFB. People do what works for em and it's nobody's business to tell them that they're wrong if they can get around the track as fast as the others.
 
when i got my first car it as an Automatic Honda Accord SI 1987 and i left foot braked, it is safer to left foot brake than right foot brake
 
It is funny. I see lots of people here talking about left foot or right foot braking. Personally I think anyone should be able to use either at any time but what I do not see is anyone mentioning both feet on the brake.

I remember back in the day the old drum brakes with no power assist you drive through a deep puddle and get the brakes good and wet and they would not stop the car. I have had both feet hard on the brake a time or two.
 
In real life, I drive an AT car, which sometimes I'm comfortable braking with either left or right foot. It is all down to each individual's eye/hand/foot coordinations.

I must admit it took me about 1 year to fully master my left foot braking. At first, your left foot is slamming on the brakes everytime and you won't be able to feather the pedal as well as your right foot. But after lots of practice, you will get hold of it.
 
I'm only months away from getting my lisence but still haven't ever driven a car before. I have been using my Xbox 360 wireless wheel for the past 2 years and i am used to left foot braking. But last night i got a Logitech G25 from my Dad as a christmas present, i tried it out on my Laptop just to see if it would work. My laptop isn't very good, so i don't use it for gaming but i do have LFS demo on it and i had a go at that.
I thought it would be easy, but every corner i had to brake for i would push the clutch in all the way and downshift and then wonder why my engine was reving so high and why i was going so fast. After about an hour i finally got a whole lap in without stuffing up a shift or missing a corner, but it wasn't heel and toe. Heel and toe will take for ever to get used too, and so will getting used to the massive increase in FFB compaired to my MS wheel.

Now i know how it feels i have to wait another 10 days until i can use it again, it's only been about 12 hours and it's driving me crazy.
 
I generally use my right foot. In a normal, everyday driving situation, it's always seemed to me that that's the only way to go. I think that left-foot braking can wear out brakes faster.

In racing, I think that left-foot braking is slightly faster, but I still don't use it on GT because I have a Fanatec, which has a clutch. I have to contort my leg to get my left foot over to the brake there, and then of course when using the clutch it's not an option.

In F1 2010, I had always wanted to use left foot-braking though. I just didn't because it's so uncomfortable, but with the DFGT I always did it. I think that the only times it's really any better are with a Formula car and maybe with karts.
 
Tompie913
I think that left-foot braking can wear out brakes faster.
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you dont keep you left foot fully on the brake, just above or resting on the peddle since all brake peddles have resistance to them resting your foot on the brake is not applying the brakes
 
Grayfox
you dont keep you left foot fully on the brake, just above or resting on the peddle since all brake peddles have resistance to them resting your foot on the brake is not applying the brakes
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You should not rest your foot on the peddle. This will not apply the brake nor wear them out but on some cars it can trigger your brake lights and if nothing else makes you look like an idiot driving down the road with your brakes on the whole time.
 
sems4arsenal
I am not old enough to drive but when I take out my Mum's Automatic car I brake with the left foot (Got used to it from GT5P)Manuel However some rally drivers use LFB but it will be very difficult.
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It's a bad habit to LFB in a road car. Especially after years of driving a manual..
Ohh time to clutch *SCREEEEEETCH* :sly:
 
This may sound weird but since GT4 I have been left foot braking in all situations. I guess over time I have just learned the timing of not hitting both at the same time. The data logger helps with this. I can see when and where I messed up. Its awesome seeing that perfect red curve to blue curve, when the both meet at the bottom exactly.
 
didn't on mine so it worked out for me, but hard to tell with new cars as the car has to be running or the key in II position to tell
 
I have been asking so many people and no one knows the answer to the question. Why is it bad to left foot brake in an Auto? The best answer i can think of is because if you then want to drive a manual you will forget to use your right foot to brake, or something like that.

Can someone please give me an answer
 
AussieStig117
I have been asking so many people and no one knows the answer to the question. Why is it bad to left foot brake in an Auto? The best answer i can think of is because if you then want to drive a manual you will forget to use your right foot to brake, or something like that.

Can someone please give me an answer
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this may be a reason, or another may be if you accidently stomp on the brake you could cause an accident
 
I drive tractor trailer for a living and I'm right foot gas and brake. Left foot is for the clutch. In game I use just the right foot on the DFGT.
 
I use both in game and in real life. Mostly just depending on the situation. I can be precise with either one too. Now i have caught myself learning tracks LFB on manual and having to swap feet mid braking to downshift.
 
Further more there is no reason to do it IRL when not racing. And you don't race an automatic anyway, so unless you heel and toe your manual everyday car..
Also, why would you want to have your left foot on the brake pedal all the time instead of relaxing it at the foot rest? Are you anticipating an accident? ^^

On a side note, i Do LFB in GT5, but Not IRL. There's just no point. Why would you need to get on the throtte faster on a sunday drive. Same as going faster than the speed limit, you don't arrive much quicker anyway.
 
Ishie
why would you want to have your left foot on the brake pedal all the time instead of relaxing it at the foot rest? Are you anticipating an accident? ^^
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yes u am, you never know when an accident may happen so why not be prepared?
 
The "FURY" of what's going on outside the vehicle seems dimished somewhat by the soft engine sounds and the 70's porn music... The few glimpses of the outside view show how this dude is hauling arse.

He's doing it all, LFB, RFB, Heal/Toe, feathering throttle...it's awesome.

I started LFB when I used to race GPL (Gran Prix Legends) Those old cars had 400ish HP and weighed about 1100lbs on bias ply tires. A set of tires would last THE MONTH..not just a race or a weekend. I'm actually glad I learned it because I ended up using it autocrossing.

In autoX you're typically not going over national speed limit speeds so you're in 1st, 2nd or 3rd depending on course and vehicle. It was a blast using it in real life. With my Cobalt setup correctly (camber and tire pressures) I could get it to rotate around quite nicely.

It did 'bite' me on one occasion though. I was in a driving school put on by the autox group I was in and while talking to the instructor I MASHED the brake, instead of the clutch when I went to shift... BRAKE CHECK! It was pretty funny.

Thanks for sharing the vid!
 
I guess im lucky as most cars in the uk are Manual. and where i live has alot of gorgeous twisty b roads!

I've been toe/heeling for years, but LFB if you havent done it from the start in a manual can be a tough one to get hold of! lose concentration for a second and you automatically mash it and kiss the windscreen! somewhat dangerous if you're just doing the shopping! Think i'll leave that one for the track! :)
 
Here's a clip of JPM doing the footwork described in part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h41sMovV6SA

The 2 sides are interesting to read. There's a clear application for both.
Part 1 comes off a bit elitist against LFB. As if the guy doesn't want to acknowledge it's uses at all.
Part 2 is more fair. Describes both the advantages and disadvantages of LFB.

Neat article, though.

Here's McRae talking about it, while driving (rather quickly):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMEqOGejlrw&feature=related
 
LFB is the way forward in some cases.

On the lisence test where you use the Golf V GTi on Autumn Ring I beat gold by about 1.5s just buy left foot braking through the series of bends while keeping the foot flat on the throttle.

Really quite effective.

Not as sure in real life though, seems a bit dangerous to do on the road. Probably ok in an automatic, but in a manual if you suddenly have to emergency stop how do you get the right foot to the clutch to stop the car from losing braking efficiency when you get near idle? Dodgy stuff!

Dave
 
SouL
Here's a clip of JPM doing the footwork described in part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h41sMovV6SA

The 2 sides are interesting to read. There's a clear application for both.
Part 1 comes off a bit elitist against LFB. As if the guy doesn't want to acknowledge it's uses at all.
Part 2 is more fair. Describes both the advantages and disadvantages of LFB.

Neat article, though.

Here's McRae talking about it, while driving (rather quickly):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMEqOGejlrw&feature=related
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Thats funny, I thought part 2 was more biased because he referred to RFB as ancient etc. Also, one of his points on pressing the brakes to build pressure can be done by right foot brakers just before they enter the corner.

LFB in my opinion belongs in Rally and Oval, where they are actually useful and more beneficial.

If we are talking about road racing in a RWD car, LFB can cause issues. FWD cars LFB is beneficial.
 
If done correctly left foot braking does not cause any issues in any kind of car other than one with a manual tranny. Some of us can use either just as well as the other yet with the left foot just above the brake and the right foot at the throttle it is possible to get quicker response than you could get otherwise as well as being able to brake while giving throttle if the situtation calls for it.

It really comes down to the driver. If the driver can do it properly then there is no problem and if not then they should not do it.
 
HBR-Roadhog
Maybe no good for you but that is not to say it is no good. I've been doing it for over 30 years trust me it is fine if you know how to do it. In fact I have no problem whatsoever using either foot for braking. I am just as comfortable using either foot in an auto and of course in a manual left foot clutch right foot brake. I have 2 cars. Thunderbird and Mustang both auto trans the Mustang also has TCS and a F150 which is a manual. I always drive the cars with left foot brake unless my knee is hurting then I use the right foot for the brake. The truck, well I try to avoid congested areas as the clutch causes my knee to swell if I have to use it a lot in stop and go traffic.

btw the only issue I have ever had using left foot braking is in the older cars at night. Specifically the ones with the dimmer switch on the floor. Sometimes you may find yourself braking for a corner and meet an oncoming car where you need to switch to low beams but your foot is already in use. The solution, brake with the right foot at night when going into blind corners. Of course this is not an issue on any of the newer cars as they are pretty much all on the steering column now.
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well maybe my rule dont aplied to american cars , in european cars , if you use your method , you find yourself against the windshield :P
 
I have a friend who has a terrible habit of braking with his left foot (in an automatic). He has almost had several dangerous accidents as a result. I dare not step in a car with him anymore.
 
Hi everybody,
I've found myself using LFB in Gt5 "naturally", also because I find it hard to use right foot to brake with DFP pedals. In real life I never use LFB in fact since I'm used to manual gearbox it would be dangerous having my left foot on a pedal that's not the clutch. Instead of LFB I often use Heel-and-toe technique on funny mountain roads and always on trackdays. Of course I use LFB the few times a year a drive a kart ;)
 
LeftyWright69
Let me see if I got this right, you have commented on other peoples post 26 times of which you have given me your 2 cents twice. We don’t know anything about you or what you bring to the discussion, so I’ll be waiting to read your first thread and see what I can find to give you your 4 cents back to you on. Negative energy will only keep your friend count where it is presently.
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So hey, re-read your post on the first page....then we can talk about how much 'sense'....wait, how many 'cents' you contributed to this thread.

PS. I'm up to 28! Thats like, 56 cents!!!!
 

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