Steering wheel users: Left or Right foot braking?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Devedander
  • 195 comments
  • 22,392 views

Left or Right foot braking?

  • Left

    Votes: 58 69.0%

  • Right

    Votes: 26 31.0%
  • Total voters
    84
  • Poll closed .
Remy Zero
Left food is really common in real life racing. Take F1 for example...
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Especially over the last decade and the fact the clutch is on the wheel,although I'm sure during this season I heard that Rubens Barrichello still uses right foot as he never felt comfortable using left,I know he tried adjusting at ferrari but I don't think he liked it.

edit

No real point to make just a vid of Senna driving the NSX-r

 
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HUGHS1E
Take the tunned 111R out on Suzuka east timetrail and you will see how left foot braking helps to balance the car, I use it on bends where I can in the lotus but I can't at ever turn because of the clutch, if i'm driving with padels I will all the time
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I would totally agree with you, that Elise is so responsive when entering turns that getting off the throttle makes bite pretty hard when entering turns and left foot braking helps (me) keep the car balanced. But then again, I'm no Alien!

Jerome
 
yeah, I'll left foot brake in a game. If I'm in auto, or not using the clutch, I do it frequently in cars that tend to understeer. Helps me pump on one or the other...or both if I have happy feet.

If I have the clutch on, I tend to left foot brake only when I'm about to mess up on a corner and suddenly wish I had 3 feet. kind of a 'what am I doing -bleaux!-' moment.

I never do it in real life, because I only drive on proper roads. And most people over the age of 16 have been broken of the habit in normal driving conditions.
 
I bought the gt driving force wheel today. After a few hours im starting to improve quite a bit and I find that I only use the left foot to brake since there is no clutch. I hope I dont get confused when im driving my real car now lol
 
Question: Why wouldn't you use left foot braking? (except if you're using a clutch-pedal as well)

It definitely adds to your control of the car. You can avoid load cycle change effects almost completely (e.g. you can just tap the brake without lifting off the throttle, which is hugely helpful in turns on ovals when an opponent suddenly swerves into your path while you are trying to pass - you would otherwise just spin out helplessly)

Basically, what you do is using the technique used in karting very efficiently. Plus, there is not a single disadvantage in using it.
 
I real life I use my right foot for both gas and break.

But in racing games, it helps to left foot break because you want to lose as little speed as possible but stepping on the gas ASAP when you cut the apex of a corner.

Edit: just wanted to add that watching that clip of Senna made my evening. Pure skills...amazing heel and toe action. Lets hope Bruno Senna would be at least 5% of his uncle's talent next season.
 
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snowgt
Question: Why wouldn't you use left foot braking? (except if you're using a clutch-pedal as well)

It definitely adds to your control of the car. You can avoid load cycle change effects almost completely (e.g. you can just tap the brake without lifting off the throttle, which is hugely helpful in turns on ovals when an opponent suddenly swerves into your path while you are trying to pass - you would otherwise just spin out helplessly)

Basically, what you do is using the technique used in karting very efficiently. Plus, there is not a single disadvantage in using it.
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When i was first taught how to drive i was told i have a heavy foot, and this with my right. I tried doing that left foot braking and it was definitely a no go. I guess its practical for racing but on a day to day basis left foot for clutch, and right foot for brake and gas. Its a lot easier in GT to do with a controller than in real life.
 
I used to left-foot brake a lot in games, since I only had two pedals! Some time ago, I learned that it was unlikely / impossible for Grand Prix racers of the 60's to use left foot braking, so I started exclusively using my right foot in GPL. Then I got a G25 and learned the magic of heel and toe and was until recently a right-foot braker only.

I'm starting to mix it up a bit again, similarly to Gaz:

Gaz Vonhammer
In GT I use both,mostly right as I use the clutch,but left when a certain corner doesn't need a gear change or when balancing a car through a corner
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For your entertainment:

In general, I think it's good every now and then to change the way you drive a little bit, it's like challenging yourself to do things with your worse hand / arm. It improved my braking feel in unstable corners, for example, just by changing what I was used to. If you don't like it, go back to how it was :D
 
GT
In all seriousness: DO NOT TRY THIS ON PUBLIC ROADS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It will almost always lcok your wheels or worse and remember, the public road is NOT a racetrack, it is NOT a game and accidents DO happen and they can be very severe! again DO NOT TRY THIS without proper training!
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I dont really see what the big deal is. When I was learning to drive my dad taught me to use right foot for brake and throttle even in an auto, I asked him why and he just said it was a good habit and you're less likely to screw something up... so the next time we drove I tried left foot braking and it was no biggie, first time it wasn't very smooth, but by the 2nd and 3rd time it was fine. Though I went back to right foot braking straight after that because that's what my dad was teaching me ;) But I dont see what's so evil about it. Though one time when I was little I saw a car accident where the driver panicked hit the throttle instead of the brakes in an emergency and someone told me that's why it is safer to use one foot for throttle and brake, though that was a long time ago I dont really remember it, lol.

What was more dangerous was the first time I drove a modern small car instead of the 25-30yo medium to large cars I'd driven up until then, the brakes were so different I was jerking the car around until I got used to them. Or driving in socks, that was far more dangerous than left foot braking :p
 
WolfRacer543
I dont really see what the big deal is. When I was learning to drive my dad taught me to use right foot for brake and throttle even in an auto, I asked him why and he just said it was a good habit and you're less likely to screw something up... so the next time we drove I tried left foot braking and it was no biggie, first time it wasn't very smooth, but by the 2nd and 3rd time it was fine. Though I went back to right foot braking straight after that because that's what my dad was teaching me ;) But I dont see what's so evil about it. Though one time when I was little I saw a car accident where the driver panicked hit the throttle instead of the brakes in an emergency and someone told me that's why it is safer to use one foot for throttle and brake, though that was a long time ago I dont really remember it, lol.

What was more dangerous was the first time I drove a modern small car instead of the 25-30yo medium to large cars I'd driven up until then, the brakes were so different I was jerking the car around until I got used to them. Or driving in socks, that was far more dangerous than left foot braking :p
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Well, the reason you're not supposed to do left foot on the streets is because you drag the brakes while you're driving. It's more of a wear and tear issue.
 
Griffith500
I used to left-foot brake a lot in games, since I only had two pedals! Some time ago, I learned that it was unlikely / impossible for Grand Prix racers of the 60's to use left foot braking, so I started exclusively using my right foot in GPL. Then I got a G25 and learned the magic of heel and toe and was until recently a right-foot braker only.

I'm starting to mix it up a bit again, similarly to Gaz:



For your entertainment:

In general, I think it's good every now and then to change the way you drive a little bit, it's like challenging yourself to do things with your worse hand / arm. It improved my braking feel in unstable corners, for example, just by changing what I was used to. If you don't like it, go back to how it was :D
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Nice one.
I do go a bit spaghetti legged,sometimes I try doing it when there is absolutely no need,just to keep myself entertained while playing :)
 
WolfRacer543
I dont really see what the big deal is.
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I hate to repeat myself, but many still seem unaware that humans are not only right or left handed, but can be right or left anything, down to their political views ;)

So it is perfectly normal to be left footed as well as any other combination of body parts/organs you can think of. It's just not as common.

It could be you are indeed left footed.

My mother was born left handed, and still does some things more with her left hand, but her writing is perfectly clear with her right hand because she was forced to do so.
 
ItsHim
I hate to repeat myself, but many still seem unaware that humans are not only right or left handed, but can be right or left anything, down to their political views ;)

So it is perfectly normal to be left footed as well as any other combination of body parts/organs you can think of. It's just not as common.

It could be you are indeed left footed.

My mother was born left handed, and still does some things more with her left hand, but her writing is perfectly clear with her right hand because she was forced to do so.
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I'm right footed for all purposes that I'm aware (kick the ball right footed when I play aussie rules football). But even if you are one footed or the other, its really not that hard to modulate the brake regardless of which foot you use... you might be a bit uncoordinated and not as smooth the first time you try it, but I'd be worried if you're going out locking the brakes or not being able to stop at the traffic lights. Like I said, I think its far more dangerous to try driving in bare feet or driving a car with a sensitive brake when all you've driven in the past is cars with spongy brakes. I just dont get why people are like "ZOMG DONT DO IT ON PUBLIC ROADS!!".
 
WolfRacer543
I just dont get why people are like "ZOMG DONT DO IT ON PUBLIC ROADS!!".
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in short because many people would (and a few currently do) rest a foot on the brake pedal, making the brake lights stay on all the time. This naturally renders the brake lights useless. Nobody else on the road knows what to do around cars like that except curse the driver under their breath and get around them before an accident happens.
 
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I use my left in an auto for braking too, so i'm used to being able to feather the brake rather than hammer down on it thinking it's the clutch in a manual.
 
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I Left foot brake at times when racing as it helps. Still right foot brake and heel and toe on the big stops, but for little dabs of the brake to help settle the car and keep it as neutral as possible into a few corners. Still use a controller for gt thought!
 
reaperman
in short because many people would (and a few currently do) rest a foot on the brake pedal, making the brake lights stay on all the time. This naturally renders the brake lights useless. Nobody else on the road knows what to do around cars like that except curse the driver under their breath and get around them before an accident happens.
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"many people" need to realise that you dont rest your foot on the pedal if you're not using it.

I use my left foot at track days (electronic manual gearbox) and never have my left foot on the brake pedal unless i am using it.
 
In F1, besides trying to balance the car through the corners, left foot braking also saves the drivers time when they want to brake hard, then accelerate hard up the corners. Left foot braking, right foot gas. Imagine how fast is that.
 
Remy Zero
In F1, besides trying to balance the car through the corners, left foot braking also saves the drivers time when they want to brake hard, then accelerate hard up the corners. Left foot braking, right foot gas. Imagine how fast is that.
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In our Formula SAE car (up until a recent rule change) there wasn't enough room in the nose to "right foot brake" as the nose was only just wide enough to fit the pedal box (which didn't have a clutch, the clutch being hand operated).

reaperman
in short because many people would (and a few currently do) rest a foot on the brake pedal, making the brake lights stay on all the time. This naturally renders the brake lights useless. Nobody else on the road knows what to do around cars like that except curse the driver under their breath and get around them before an accident happens.
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That's possibly true, but its not really a problem with left foot braking per say, just an issue of bad driving. It'd wear your brakes as well. Just the same as you shouldn't leave your foot resting on the clutch either.

Dont get me wrong, I use my right foot for braking, I rarely even drive an auto (only my Mum's car is an auto, everyone else in my family including me owns manuals) and I think its more efficient for street driving to right foot brake (given there's no real time you need a quick response from throttle to brake or vice versa on the streets). I just found it odd that people would be so aggressive about saying you shouldn't even attempt it on the streets.
 
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WolfRacer543
I'm right footed for all purposes that I'm aware (kick the ball right footed when I play aussie rules football). But even if you are one footed or the other, its really not that hard to modulate the brake regardless of which foot you use... you might be a bit uncoordinated and not as smooth the first time you try it, but I'd be worried if you're going out locking the brakes or not being able to stop at the traffic lights. Like I said, I think its far more dangerous to try driving in bare feet or driving a car with a sensitive brake when all you've driven in the past is cars with spongy brakes. I just dont get why people are like "ZOMG DONT DO IT ON PUBLIC ROADS!!".
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Mate, I drive in bare feet all the time, it's not dangerous, its safe! Socks, not so much as there is a slippage issue but bare feet? Seriously? Please tell me how it is dangerous. You have more feeling for one thing. I live in Brisbane, my footwear of choice 100% of the time are (this is where it gets tricky as different countries have different names for these) Thongs, or Jandals, or Flip Flops whatever you are used to calling them. If I tried to drive wearing these then I would crash, I'm sure of it haha. So they come off and I drive bare foot.

I have just as much "grip" on the pedal as when wearing footwear, with the added benefit of being able to feel the pedal better.

As for the left foot braking, as I said earlier, if you have been driving for some time and have never used your left foot for braking, you will almost certainly stuff it up as your foot is desensitized as it is used to stomping on a heavy clutch pedal. If you did it whilst learning to drive you had nothing to compare it to.

Any new technique that requires breaking of a habit will require concentration, and when you are not completely confident, I'd rather not have someone learning how to brake their car using a technique they are not completely confident with when my son decides to cross the road at a crossing in front of them... So if you are not used to it, for god sake practice WHERE IT IS SAFE TO DO SO. Anyone who can't see the logic in that has rocks in their head and is suffering from that classic syndrome of thinking like they are the worlds best driver and nothing can go wrong to them.
 
ItsHim
For your viewing pleasure, last bit of the interview is on topic:

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Greatest place for an interview ever! Why afterwards? Just do it while driving!

Since I don't have my drivers license yet (just turned 18, which is the minimum age in the Netherlands) I only use pedals in games. I have always used left foot braking, but I am trying to make the switch to right foot braking now.
 
As cool as left foot braking sounds, in the real life, road driving, it's always better to right foot brake. Why? Because in real life, the space is quite limited in average cars, and when you left foot brake, after a while, it just gets uncomfortable.

Try it yourself and see..
 
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 :)
 
Given I have no wheel yet, I can't answer the GT side of this. However, in real life, I'm a right-foot sidestep man. ;)

And nothing does that justice like touge racing.. God watch the modulation. :eek:

And V8 Supercars




Cheers,
Jetboy
 
Heel Toe is pretty much used in every racing car with a manual transmission, or even sequential transmissions for those that don't left foot brake, to rev match the down shifts...not just touge and V8 supercars... I bet you couldn't find a race car driver that DOESN'T do it...
 

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