Steering wheel users: Left or Right foot braking?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Devedander
  • 195 comments
  • 22,385 views

Left or Right foot braking?

  • Left

    Votes: 58 69.0%

  • Right

    Votes: 26 31.0%
  • Total voters
    84
  • Poll closed .
Racin'Jason
Thanks for that Walter Rohl video Remy.

As far as racing, I think the ability to left foot brake is an asset and allows for some flexible/versitile driving. Depending on the circuit of course. On a track like Fuji, i say you should use it due to the long sweeping turns that require quick transitions between brake and gas.

As far as driving on the street, it's obviously not necessary, but i don't know why people would discourage it?...

Heel-toe, double clutch, rev matching as well. Used in racing for obvious reasons. but not necessary on the street, though, i do things like this all the time :)
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No problem mate. I admit, i heel toe once in a while when i'm street driving. Also, depending how the corners on some roads here, i left foot brake just for the fun of it.

However, i'm not discouraging it n terms of safety, but more for comfy issues.
 
I've used left foot braking for only two real life situations.

1.) Turning around to look out the rear window to launch the boat or maneuver a trailer with a truck.

2.) After letting out the clutch for a standing or rolling burnout...

Other than that, I'd never even bother, not even with the DFGT.
 
Remy Zero
No problem mate. I admit, i heel toe once in a while when i'm street driving. Also, depending how the corners on some roads here, i left foot brake just for the fun of it.

However, i'm not discouraging it n terms of safety, but more for comfy issues.
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I wasn't trying to implicate you were discouraging it's use in public road driving, i meant to say i have heard some people, including people who teach new drivers how to drive, say that left foot braking is not good or dangerous :dunce:. I never confronted anyone when it's been said, though i disagree. but its just another technique for racing, after all, totally optional, though most seem to think it quicker in some areas. However, look at Rubens Barrichello, right foot braking in F1, reeeeeediculus haha:tup:
 
i use left foot braking all the time in GT, its alot faster than right foot braking.
In real life i just use right foot breaking, no use for left foot, same for heel and toe, also quite useless in normal every day traffic.
 
IRL I am mostly cruising so then I right foot brake. I don´t want to wear down my clutch.

In racing simulations always LFB. You get way better control since you have hte left leg where all the muscle memory goes into braking and the right foots muscle memory Throttle. Except for that you can stabilize the car by using throttle when need during braking and as mentioned quicker transition between brake and throttle.

But of course you can only use this technology in race cars or in simulations with inproper clutch simulation or you will break it down in no time.

That is one thing I like with LFS and Forza 3. They really punish you for using improper race techniques in cars that are not designed for clutchless shifting. But man is it hard to readjust I am a LOT slower still even though it becomes more and more natural with more practise of course.

It´s more fun and more sport surely.
 
MrSkyline
same for heel and toe, also quite useless in normal every day traffic.
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I actually know a few people who heel toe on the regular streets, makes braking and cornering smoother. If you're slowing down for something like a round-a-bout or a give way sign at a corner, at some stage you have to downshift either while braking or cornering, heel toe makes it feel smooth. That said I can't heel toe in my car, the pedals aren't well set up for it.
 
Interestingly, I can left foot brake in a kart just fine. But I can't do it in a car anything resembling smooth. Maybe it's because the pedal travels too far? I can't rest my heel on the floor right? My feet are too close together? I don't know. I always do it on video games too, but never in a real car.
 
I left foot brake only in cases where I need to slow down, but I still need a little throttle to get around corners. Specifically in MR cars, if you lift off completely, you'll suddenly find yourself facing the wrong way with a crankshaft in your skull. Oh, also around high speed tracks.
 
With my DFGT I always use left foot braking, but there its easy, I mean, you got 2 pedals, LFB came out automatic to me, but when I tried my friend's G25 with clutch on I do confusion and finally I must brake with right foot cause I need my left foot for the clutch, I know, i must lean heel-toe move :ouch:

With my real car I try sometimes to left foot brake, its nice to do if you only need to slow down a bit, but useless if you not really pushing hard.

Ah, the Flying Finns 68 video is wonderful, I add it to my favourite 👍
 
I asked myself: Why the hell left foot???
Here we go, for all the users asking what this is all about(Like me).
Verry nice explanation.
 
-> I basically use this technique, but it very much depends on certain variable situations. Take note; I'm 6'3 and my shoe size are 13 (US). and I perform a different styled heel-toe and LFB:

Arcade (ie. Initial D Arcade series) -> I've always use this technique. But I basically treat it as my 'handbrake/E-brake' to initiate sudden transitions I need to execute certain corners. In other words, I somehow 'tap' or 'blip' my left foot to upset the cars balance and tend to oversteer (just like any e-brake). :)

PC Sims (ie. iRacing) -> Since I've always 'feel' that most cars that I've dealt with on many PC sims are 'twitchy' (because I never owned a PC sim, I tend to use any of my friends systems). I use LFB very carefully before attacking every apex when needed. Based on my experiences with any Logitech wheels, all of its pedals (no matter what model) seems to be narrow and I can't use my regular shoes (unlike in real life). Every time I tend to use any VG pedals I have to be either sock-covered or bare-footed. The only real-life car on which have the same very narrow pedal placement is my boss' '04 Lotus Exige [Ser.2] (US) <Supercharged>. :indiff:

GT series (4/HD/5P) [steering wheel] -> Almost the same application as in PC sims, but the way the PD implemented it was 'smoother' and 'linear'. Unlike PC sims, most of the cars in GT are more 'relaxed' and more tuned to real life driving. My duration of implementing LFB is substantially longer than I usually use in PC sims. Meaning, my duration time using LFB is very similar as I do in real life and it works very well. But again, the VG pedals are too narrow. :)

Real Life (FWD, AWD, and select A/T cars) -> I do apply LFB religiously before I got my S2000 (when I used to have FF {Integra} & AWD {WRX} cars). In real life, LFB takes a while to master. But the benefits are so rewarding that you will love yourself as well as the car that you are driving. I apply LFB with sheer caution and finesse, if you 'feel' that the car is not gripping enough then use a gentle touch of LFB. Same goes if you driving through the gravel w/ AWD; to prepare the next corner, I tend to apply LFB to 'rotate' the car at a desired position and rally my way (sideways) through the corner (it was a super fun and addicting experience). :)

GT series (1/2/3/4/5P/PSP/5TT) [controller (D-Pad)] -> This application is quite tricky and difficult to master (besides GT4). The lack of pressure sensitivity accurracy of the DS1, PSP, & DS3 make modulating LFB thru your right index finger can somehow be fustrating! Yes, the DS3 on the PS3 is also pressure sensitive, but the sensitivity and accuracy are way off. The delay thru the wireless conectivity is the main culprit here, whereas you are unable to 'modulate' your throttle/brake buttons, hence resulting to and on/off situation. It is no different with GTPSP. Only the GT4 with the DS2 can implement the perfect replication of LFB. :indiff:

^ I hope this helps. :sly:
 
IRL i only LFB my wifes FWD if the corners are fast enough (to promote a bit of oversteer!!) but never for slowing down in traffic as its a manual....otherwise RFB in all othe cars including automatics. Most TAXI drivers LFB and leave the foot on the brake all the time (stupid) and as someone posted before ,its super annoying! In GT or LFS I do as IRL.
 
On my DFGT, I always used my left foot for braking. I recently got the Fanatec 911 Turbo though, and I've found it feels much more natural on that to do right foot braking, even if I don't use the clutch. I think the pedals are closer together on the Fanatec.
 
I use both. It depends on where i have the other foot. Sometimes i have the left on clutch (braking), then i use right to brake and to accelerate or both at same time (double clutch), but if I'm accelerating in a corner I use left for brake, and right for gas.
If you have only 2 pedals (automatic car) i recomend to brake with left. This way you can brake without losing grip, cause you can accelerate at same time (differential only works when accel)
 
The owner of the driving school I went to is a local rally driver and he says left foot braking is quite necessary in rallying, at least with the FWD car he is using. It's like a substitute for the handbrake, only you don't really lock the tyres. At least that's how I got it.
 
I have a DFGT and I'm left footed. And because I don't want my less coordinated right foot to do all the work, I do use left foot braking.
 
Possibly a dumb question, but...

I have come across several YouTube vids showing drivers using racing wheels like the Driving Force GT with no clutch, but still using both feet, the left used to brake. I thought this was a bit odd, but perhaps this is correct/normal. Do you use your left foot to brake? Is this normal practice in race car driving?
 
Yep, I use my Left foot to brake. Something about the size and shape of the pedals just makes using just the right foot seem awkward to me.
 
left foot braking is much faster for me
also allows much better control in rally sims as you can keep the power on and use the brakes for weight transferr
 
Yes I use my left foot to brake also. In fact I use just my left toes. I was considering getting a Fanatac wheel with Clubsport pedals but now I'm afraid it might take more pressure from my left foot than I'm comfortable using now. So I'm perfectly happy with my DFGT set up. I don't even want to put a sponge under the brake pedal like some have done. I like the easy soft feel of the DFGT pedals, unlike some others.
 
I've tried using just my right foot for both pedals - it's just too slow having to switch from one to the other in racing conditions.
 
No because I never got the hang of the technique in real life during my autox/rallyx events. I regularly finished with podium positions so I never really was motivated to learn the technique...which feels very un-natural to me...even though I understand the advantages.
 
When I used my DFP I always braked with my left foot.. now I'm slowly getting used to using my right foot for braking with my G27, although I'm having a time with it. When I play stock car sims I still use my left foot to brake, as I need to keep my right in the throttle a bit. In real life I even have trouble not braking with my left foot, because, funny story, I learned to drive about 13 or so years ago in an old Ford Club Wagon van that the carb was never set right in. You had to hold a bit of throttle when coming to a stop to keep it running so I've always used my left to brake since, just habit I guess, lol, what a piece of .....well, that was a poor working van, haha
 
Right foot here, Left foot just feels so wrong for a road car.

When i play F1 games though its both, but the pedals are so close my ankles are rubbing the entire time.
 
When I used my DFGT I have learned to brake with my left foot, two pedals + two feet = advantage!
Now I' m using the ClubSport (Fanatec), so i had to go back to my old habit - left foot only for clutch. At the beginning, I have tried many times to use my left foot for braking (when i drove without a clutch) but very soon I understood that I wasn't taking full advantage of the supremacy of the CSpedals...
Braking by left foot was more like an ON-OFF action instead of the accurate and precise right foot braking which little by little improoved my driving!
Anyway, talking about the indifferent DFGT pedals, right foot braking don't gives much of an advantage, on the contrary, the immediacy of the left - foot braking - does!!!
 

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