Sitting close to the wheel (vs being able to "heel and toe")
Discussion
When I first decided to adopt a higher standard of driving, I moved my seat a fair bit closer to the wheel and I reduced the lean angle of the seat.
The result is a "sit up and beg" driving position that I think puts you in better control of the car, slightly improves visibility and encourages full mental engagement with the task in hand, massively more so in my opinion than the "arms length" driving position most (non-enthusiasts) use.
Aiming for smoothness and efficiency, the next logical step for me seems to be to able to blip the throttle for the next downshift during the braking phase which I gather is the point of "heel and toe".
However, I cannot physically do it using my current driving position. If I move the seat back six inches, I can angle my foot across to touch both pedals, but that puts me too far backward to feel in full control of the car.
As it stands, I think the correct distance from the wheel is more important than efficient downshifting, so I'm still blipping the slow way, coming off the brake before I can blip.
My questions are:
1. Does anyone else use this close and upright seating position? I sort of assumed all of us do this, but I don't actually know any fellow enthusiasts in the real world.
2. Did a close seating position interfere with being able to "heel and toe" for you, when you tried to learn to do it?
3. Should I just force myself to readjust to arms length driving for the sake of being able to heel and toe?
4. Is it just that you can't always heel and toe in every car because of the layout, and you shouldn't expect to be able to? I'm 6,1 and the car I'm trying to learn this in is my daily shed mk3 fiesta.
The result is a "sit up and beg" driving position that I think puts you in better control of the car, slightly improves visibility and encourages full mental engagement with the task in hand, massively more so in my opinion than the "arms length" driving position most (non-enthusiasts) use.
Aiming for smoothness and efficiency, the next logical step for me seems to be to able to blip the throttle for the next downshift during the braking phase which I gather is the point of "heel and toe".
However, I cannot physically do it using my current driving position. If I move the seat back six inches, I can angle my foot across to touch both pedals, but that puts me too far backward to feel in full control of the car.
As it stands, I think the correct distance from the wheel is more important than efficient downshifting, so I'm still blipping the slow way, coming off the brake before I can blip.
My questions are:
1. Does anyone else use this close and upright seating position? I sort of assumed all of us do this, but I don't actually know any fellow enthusiasts in the real world.
2. Did a close seating position interfere with being able to "heel and toe" for you, when you tried to learn to do it?
3. Should I just force myself to readjust to arms length driving for the sake of being able to heel and toe?
4. Is it just that you can't always heel and toe in every car because of the layout, and you shouldn't expect to be able to? I'm 6,1 and the car I'm trying to learn this in is my daily shed mk3 fiesta.
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