Starting Smoothly: First Steps in Clutch and Gas Control

You need to be comfortable with where the clutch engages and where it disengages. To do this, find an open space where there is no one around you. Turn the car on and put it in first gear, all while keeping the parking brake engaged. Start letting the clutch out slowly until you find the “biting point.” This is the point where you start to feel the car wanting to move. It is also around where the clutch’s sound changes pitch slightly. Hold this position for about 10 seconds and then put it back into neutral (using the clutch). Do this about 15 times to get a good feel for the biting point.

Do not use the gas at all during this time. You want to get a feel for how to engage and disengage the clutch without relying on using the gas. This will help you in the long run. Using the clutch and the gas Now that you know where the biting point is, you can start using the gas. Put the car into gear again and bring it to the biting point. Then give the gas a little bit of fuel so that the RPMS on the car go up a little. As you do this, you should feel the front of the car rise up slightly since the power of the gas will be engaged. Once you feel it rise up, you should take your foot off of the gas and let the car come back down to the biting point.

Do this 10 or 15 times as well. This will give you a good feel for what it is like to give it gas and take it away. You will start to develop a sense of what it feels like to control the car. Tips: Do not over do it. Take your time, you need to get a feel for the car. If you over do it, you will become frustrated. It is better to do it in short cycles then to over do it. You need to take deep breaths as well to relax. If you become frustrated you will not learn as much.

Remember, this is all apart of the process of learning how to drive. Go to the same spot every time. It needs to be open so you can practice without worrying about other people. Do not look at the clutch or the gas. You need to focus on what is ahead of you, not what is at your feet. Keep the practices to under 45 minutes. Take breaks in between if you have to. Do not let yourself get frustrated. If you start feeling frustrated, you can simply take a break and do something else.

If you keep trying and you are not getting anywhere, you will not learn as much. When you’re done with the practice session, take a moment and reflect on what you did well during the last 3 or 4 practices. This will help you to continue to grow positively.