5 Reasons to Left Foot Brake on the Street

Left foot braking has become a mandatory skill for racing drivers of all disciplines, but should you brake with your left foot on the street? Ride along as we cover five of the most important reasons left foot braking has an advantage over right foot braking for daily driving. Do you brake with your left foot? Let us know in the comments when and where you find left foot braking most valuable in your daily driver or on the track.
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[@stevenrutter2458]

The headrest is backwards because it gets in the way when you have a helmet on. Figured I'd answer that before someone asks

[@da_4151]

I was curious about that. Thanks.

[@Jaewing]

Man I thought it was just because the headrests get in the way anyways lol, I always turn mine around in my cars xD Thanks for the answer tho!

[@joshuavetting4148]

My first auto-x i discovered this. First run was uncomfortable with my head forced forward. Removed the head rest for my second run and was quickly informed that was a no no. I then discovered I could flip thim around and all was good. Not only that but my wife appreciated that it didn't mess up her hairdo.

[@Teamoneilrally]

Thanks Steven!

[@RyanWithAviators]

This is super true. Also, modern headrests horrendously push your head forward. It's stupid. I have my Sequoia's headrest turned around for that reason. It can contribute to neck issues.

[@rokenwolf]

Ah yes, left foot braking...like that time I went for the clutch in my buddy’s automatic trans car 🙃

[@campbell92]

You really have no idea how scary that is until you do it. Feels like you're gonna crash and get thrown out the front windshield before you realize a split second later whats going on

[@blitz-n-chipz361]

Ahh good ole clutch foot

[@jbstepchild]

@@campbell92 I did that once after long day driving the work truck got into my auto an hit the ebrake hilarious on snow at 2 am well now that your awake

[@lentsoemamatela1024]

​@@jbstepchild Haha i have the same but getting used the transition. The lash is real

[@Joeytheknife905]

Lol

[@baerschuman111]

Can you do a video on right foot clutching next

[@brunovegacoto5987]

better hand clutching, gives you preccision

[@ekimo56]

It can be done, in the summer I broke my ankle and for fun tried to drive with only one leg. I was only brave enough to test in my driveway but it is good fun lol

[@GTX311]

🤣

[@Thundercat_Johnson]

I use a broom handle for the clutch. That way I can keep both feet over the pedals at all times and stab the clutch with the broom when needed

[@cryo2156]

baer schuman I use left index finger accelerating and forehead braking

[@Boss1186]

All this time i was critisizing soccer moms in Chevy Tahoes and other family haulers for driving with two feet, turns out all this time they were the most experienced drivers. Good job, Karen

[@installshieldwizard3017]

My world is shattered too

[@stevenleach6506]

Nah riding the brakes is dangerous and should be criticized.

[@Boss1186]

@@stevenleach6506 i not talking necesarily about riding the brakes, just two feet driving in general

[@RevolutionHappens]

Dilly dilly

[@sntslilhlpr6601]

@@Boss1186 How do you know they're left foot braking if they're not riding the brakes?

[@BorisFett]

I was an ambulance driver for years and used left foot breaking when responding to the scene. Fractions of a second count when your running red lights or generally driving in a away that's not normal.

[@D3nn1s]

I guess the ambulance isnt manual tho, right?

[@thefarcountry]

"Normal" pretty much goes out the window if you want to have any chance of actually getting to where you need to go in major city heavy traffic situations.

[@therayven3147]

Watch a lot of police officers when they drive... Guarantee more than 60percent of cops "left foot" brake...

[@sntslilhlpr6601]

@@D3nn1s If you're in a manual and you left foot brake during a panic stop, just yank the shifter out of gear to keep the car from stalling. It won't hurt anything. Then you can select first gear and gtfo the way if there's someone coming up behind you. I kinda wish he went over this in the vid because stalling the car could put you in a very bad position if you're in a potential pile-up situation.

[@D3nn1s]

@@sntslilhlpr6601 yeah i guess but that not something an ambulace driver should have to do xd

[@johnnymugnano4237]

Reason 6: It makes you feel like a race car driver

[@installshieldwizard3017]

Reason 0, mind you

[@johnnymugnano4237]

Ass Invader nice name 😂

[@enes.54130]

yesssss 😁

[@HR-eb4vs]

I tried left foot brake and almost smacked my head to the steering wheel.

[@beep-beepalula258]

I tried listening to all that talk, I tuned out at reason 2.

[@benjaminingenito530]

Same, tried it a couple times and almost got abs kicking in lol

[@JoeIsCrazyWillman]

Like he said, gotta practice. Just like when you were new to driving as a kid, your braking was kinda jerky. You had to practice being smooth. Took me a couple months of playing with it intermittently, but now nobody can tell which foot I'm using to stop with unless they actually look. PRACTICE!

[@HR-eb4vs]

@@JoeIsCrazyWillman yeah practice makes it a lot better , i don't know if driving manual trans makes it harder in the beginning.

[@TheRealCabe]

Remember to keep your heel on the floor. Most people don’t and it’s vital to help you control how hard you brake.

[@p4inmaker]

"You'll get on those pedals with a lot more precision." Not with my left foot you won't.

[@squidstems]

Uh yes you will if you left foot brake enough it will become better at braking than your right foot. At least that's how it is for me anyway

[@LorenzoClara97]

The first time you press the brake with the left foot you will do a screenshot of the windscreen

[@p4inmaker]

I know, I was just making a joke about me trying it for the first time. It's funny how much fine control you "lose" when you are used to hammering down a heavy clutch.

[@ionalien]

@@p4inmaker just make sure you keep your heel on the ground.

[@T25de]

Play more gran turismo

[@luiss5027]

When I was learning how to drive I instinctively used my left foot for the brakes and the clutch, my dad (who was teaching me) never noticed this so I just thought it was the way you were "supposed" to do it, it wasn't until like 2 years later that a friend noticed and told me it was, according to her, a huge road hazard because if you panic you could smash both so I tried switching to right foot braking and felt so slow and dangerous. My point is, if you learn to drive left foot braking using the right foot brake will feel slow and pointless. People just program their muscle memory that way but if you fight against it you will notice how much better it is.

[@Altegore]

I don't know, im pretty fast with my right foot, not to brag but I snap that foot like a lighting, saved me in a few situations. I tried left foot braking and it's awkward, would need to practice a lot...

[@Teamoneilrally]

It definitely takes some practice to get good, especially for some of the performance driving skills, but the payoff is huge.

[@konekoray9323]

I was the same way when I first started driving. Left foot on brake just made sense, especially since I learned in an automatic. After a week or two, mom noticed and ripped into me furiously, saying it was dangerous for those exact reasons. So I forced myself to use only my right foot, and only _then_ did I start pressing the wrong pedals. Tried to park later that same day, and instead of pulling to a stop, nearly gunned it into the garage door. Mom immediately snapped out "that is why you only use one foot to drive, so you don't do that!" Yeah, because that makes sense.

[@howtoTH_Life]

I also think it's ok with left foot braking when you get used to it. but I'm the one who press wrong pedal when use left foot braking when I didn't focus on driving (and I was still quite new for driving). so I choose right foot braking and it hard to use left foot again.

[@asnoobadoug]

Luis Sainz you’ll know then, I started the same but it lasted no time because I always got told the brake lights are constantly on if you do and it never made sense... do they go on when touched even remotely? or is that only with pressure?

[@ojdajuiceman1691]

Left foot braking gives me a huge advantage over my friends in sim racing. It took a lot of practice to master, left foot trail braking, knowing the right time to do it. But the income is great, i gained >2 seconds lap time on most circuits, and now my friends can’t beat me. I love your vids team o’neil! You explain very well, and made me become a better racer as well as a better everyday driver too.

[@OnTheRailTV]

I have been driving over 25 years and have always left foot braked. So many people would give me crap about it or thought it was weird saying that I drive wuth 2 feet. My perspective was just as you described with reaction time. It always just felt right to me and made sense.

[@sepehr-9210]

i get on with 2 feets when i have to speed up in corners,but in normal driving 1 foot does the job for me

[@mattastic247]

I've been a huge advocate for left foot braking for years. I found it to be vital for driving in Boston traffic but it also makes driving more interesting and interactive.

[@JohnFlower-NZ]

I agree. Also, don't get paddle shifters as they mean your hands can't be used for communicating with other drivers.

[@ARCNA442]

After all your talk about weight transfer, I think you need to do a video on that next.

[@lawrencesussman8970]

Yes! Can we break weight transfer down because it's basically the secret to two wheeled sports?

[@CheekiScrubb]

@@lawrencesussman8970 lol weight transfer covers 80% of everything i was taught about in supermoto

[@loth6088]

There's a book on Amazon called Ultimate Speed Secrets: The Complete Guide To High Performance And Race Driving. It's a really, really good book. it teaches you pretty much everything that you need to know regarding high performance driving and racing as the title suggests. it explains things very in depth. It's my favorite book out there😎

[@trubadurcupulancur2534]

@@loth6088 yo dude do you know xmpp?

[@trubadurcupulancur2534]

@@loth6088 I know its not related to the vid but Im just curious cause Im learning it atm. And thanks for the great book suggestion.

[@videowatcher93]

LFB was one of the best things i learned behind the wheel. i had driven a manual for years. one day my ankle felt super stiff and for some reason, i just couldnt rotate left and right but i needed to take a short drive somewhere. tested out LFB through the first two turns. thanks to muscle memory from manuals, i managed it well. a week into LFB, i had a cyclist pop out from nowhere behind a bush. i was stopped at a stop sign. i had already started putting pressure on the gas when that cyclist popped into my FOV and my left foot planted firmly on the brakes even before i could register what was going on and my right foot was still feathering the gas before letting off completely. this happened a couple of years ago and i'm still LFB to this day though not as much.

[@misztal2112]

I'm still trying the figure out why those boots are so weird.

[@erniediaz894]

They are made for mountaineering. He might as well add the crampons. La Sportiva Karakorum ?

[@beep-beepalula258]

My guess is that the driver is the devil and has two clubfeet.

[@beep-beepalula258]

You can also tell he's the devil from his generally taciturn demeanor.

[@Teamoneilrally]

@@erniediaz894 Nailed it.

[@jrc5001]

Honestly Driving an automatic, left foot braking is extremely beneficial because it does reduce reaction time and can vouch that i can respond better to the roads and see how my car is acting

[@niemanickurwa]

Question is, does it damage the car in anyway?

[@firekillersagario1053]

@@niemanickurwa no it wont damage the car in any way (if ur in an automatic)

[@stoopidhaters]

Clutch Pedal: Am I a joke to you?

[@CastingSpell]

That was what i was thinking, what if there is an emergency and you totally stop the car with LFB and sudenly you are in the middle of the street with the car off (no breaking assistance, no power steering, no fast reaction to leave in case other cars coming towards you...)

[@Catz0125]

@@CastingSpell It's possible to pop the car out of gear without using the clutch if you time it right. As the engine hits idle speed, this will momentarily unload the transmission, and you can pop it right out of gear!

[@raufmeister]

@@CastingSpell after some practice you can change the pedals faster, it takes practice and later you do it without think about it, such as trail braking, I do trail braking even without thinking of it while i turn.with my right foot, at first the car will turn off many times, so at first its better to get more distance.

[@edugamer950]

@@Catz0125 you can actually pop it out of gear as long as it doesn't have load on it, the lower the RPMs, the smootjer and better for the trans it is

[@Catz0125]

@@edugamer950 You're right! It's also entirely possible to shift gears without using the clutch, with a bit of skill. Did this to limp my car to the mechanic when the clutch stopped working right (stuck engaged).

[@BradChadley]

I'm still pretty young, but I spent a lot of time offroad/on trails in high school, and learned to left foot brake to either get drive quickly on trails/slide around, or be able to instantly switch between brake and throttle when crawling over obstacles. Eventually, I started doing it in daily driving and it makes driving smoother and gives you the fastest reaction possible. Thankfully, those fractions of a second difference probably haven't made much difference for me, but those 10-20 feet of stopping distance it had saved me may have prevented a couple of fender benders from idiots on the highway. At the very least, it makes you feel like you're more in control and smooths out your driving and makes it easier to keep your chassis balanced under cornering (even in my solid axle Jeep WJ lmao). Definitely a habit worth making.

[@yunusemredemir4935]

Brett Friedrichsen I think we're the only ones that does left foot braking on street in a Jeep Wj 😀😂. And also, do you move your right foot away from gas pedal when stopped at red lights? 'Cause mine revs up(around 50-100 rpm) even I just rest my right foot on it 😀

[@BradChadley]

@@yunusemredemir4935 No, but I usually keep my foot just the tiniest bit off of the pedal at stop lights so Im not sure if mine would do that or not! Which motor do you have?

[@yunusemredemir4935]

@@BradChadley 4.0 I6

[@parapetcloud]

Just make sure your brake lights aren't coming on from you resting your foot there. Don't want to get rear ended because the person behind you didn't realize you were stopping in time.

[@BradChadley]

@@yunusemredemir4935 Nice! Super reliable motor. I have the 4.7 HO. I usually don't rest my foot on the throttle, I have it just above the pedal because it's sensitive enough I think it would probably rev up a tiny bit if I did.

[@MyLonewolf25]

As someone who did delivery for a good few years I can’t count how many times it’s saved my ass from people pulling out on me suddenly

[@ThomasShelby-qb4ic]

All your lessons should be taught to the new young drivers. I learned more from you and other emergnecy driving courses from pro drivers than i ever did from drivers ed

[@richardlont4480]

I've been watching these since a lil bit before drivers ed. Finished with drivers ed but need to take drivers test

[@JoeIsCrazyWillman]

For real. Driver's ed today is a joke, and what's worse, a lot of places don't even require it, just a parent/guardian signed log of X amount of hours of practicing driving. Then take the fairly simple exam and small driving test and you're good.

[@ThomasShelby-qb4ic]

@@JoeIsCrazyWillman drivers ed should be taught by pro racers and stunt drivers or tactical drivers. Not fuckin old dudes who only have experience driving in traffic doing nothing advanced

[@Fetaldareaper1414]

While I don't disagree that drivers ed is kind of useless and professional drivers can give better advice, this guy is not a professional driver and is giving terrible advice. I hope you don't actually listen to anything he says in this video because it's all horrible. There's a reason they don't teach you to left foot break, because it comes with a bunch of problems including increased break wear, from leaving you foot slightly on the gas and this can also make you stop slower because the car is trying to accelerate. Racing drivers don't actually use left foot breaking unless they're driving an automatic/paddle, you cant left foot break and use the clutch in a manual. And they only do this while racing, when they're just driving around the town in their car they would use their right foot.

[@asnoobadoug]

Gregory Fernandez or you know let off the gas entirely, or moving your feet when need be or even heel-toeing, and without gas, brake wear is purely pressure based so just don’t be clueless and none of these problems apply. As well you can still left brake in manual if you know you don’t need to downshift in the time braking. what you said would only apply to someone with literal lead feet

[@icee0711]

I do this in my automatic-trans daily because it's a clunky, opposite-of-smooth vehicle. I never thought to try it in my manual sporty car but seeing the way you shifted the weight has inspired me to give it a go.

[@GTX311]

Be careful when you are still getting used to it. You can actually slam the brakes when you mean to use the clutch. Practice when there are no cars around and do it in a conscious way. Eventually it becomes instinctive. I normally left foot brake when slowing down. When stopping or expecting to stop, I use my right, even when I'm driving an automatic transmission. That way, it's the same experience when I go back to my manual car. I usually shift to my right foot if I'm left foot braking but need to stop but in an emergency I just slam the brakes with the left.

[@michaeljordon704]

the problem with left foot braking at least in some automatic cars is that he brake pedal is angled so high that it hurts to keep your left foot above the pedal for more than 5 minutes.

[@michaeljordan7526]

Michael Jordon hey jordon michael you’re right

[@BradleyLevesque02]

Facts

[@BadWolf762]

Don't keep your left foot above the pedal then. Do you keep your right foot above the brake pedal?

[@CentureMusic]

Recently started LFBing on daily drives from your older videos. Great content guys!

[@soulextinguisher]

I have been doing this for years and I'm glad I finally stumbled upon a video about it. I always say it is safer when people cricize it for being dangerous. There is no way I could confuse which foot does which and I have a quicker response time than driving normally. Plus if I want to take it easy I can go back to using my right foot for both no problem.

[@colelje]

Been driving for about 10 years now. Started with the usual right foot brake. Made a conscious effort to pick up left foot braking. Its saved my ass in many instances where someone cut me off or the car in front stopped abrupty. I was able to react quickly because my left foot was just hovering on the brake pedal. Taking sweeping turns is smoother because I'm able to modulate the speed with both throttle and brakes.

[@V1_JFN]

Genuinely good information, and reasoning. I will definitely be incorporating LFB into my daily driving.

[@T25de]

LFB is very useful for rwd cars for stability. In a fwd it can be an effective way to increase cornering speed #initialD 🤩

[@drazenbudis7881]

T 25 On FWD you basically get to simulate limited slip diff, so its s very handy technique on tight corners.

[@T25de]

🤙🤙

[@FiendTheatre]

T 25 I’m in a Subaru and left foot braking is PHENOMENAL especially on canyon runs. I might go over to RWD so I’m wondering, have you done any spirited driving while LFB? What’s your take?

[@T25de]

I use it for off-road driving all the time in my land cruiser. LFB while using the throttle keeps the truck in an Athletic Stance and gives ya some good control

[@rubenmartinez5732]

@@FiendTheatre rwd guy here, LFB on canyon runs is really good, do recommend practicing on easier roads first to get used to the weight transfer and the feel of the pedals tho

[@M1lomay]

I can’t convince my brain to hit the brake without hitting the clutch so what I do is just keep my right foot over the brake unless I have tons of room like late night highway driving

[@DrDarashin]

You'll get much better fuel economy and quicker braking if you leave the car in gear until the revs are near idle. At idle you should be able to push it out of gear without using the clutch at all

[@-ahvilable-6654]

@@DrDarashin woah. I waited the whole video for him to explain this.

[@BradleyLevesque02]

@@DrDarashin so just brake until with the clutch out and car in gear then slip it into neutral when it's at idle rpm?

[@M1lomay]

@@TimoVTavioTimppe having a bad day bud? wanna talk about it?

[@NerdyCatCoffeeee]

Heel-toe left-foot braking

[@wwtko]

I’ve been doing it for over 1 years and ever since day 2 it’s felt way more comfortable/natural, saves me time on my commute too.

[@krisvalenti4141]

Started left foot braking a few weeks ago. Took me about a day to adapt. Love it , It makes way more sense to do !

[@basithph8958]

I know that heel toe shift also helps on the street but never knew left foot braking also helps Thanks for this video guys!

[@piecartbox]

Haven't been to Littleton in over a decade, thanks for bringing me back to where I learned to drive!

[@johnpooley3]

Just last night I was sprinting down CT-15S when a box truck who shouldn’t have been there decides to stop on downslope of a hill. I had my left foot hovering because of the hill, and aside from the lack of downforce due to the hill which caused some awesome squealing, we were able to pull off and hide behind a guardrail in case any more traffic was coming. Great explanation that I can share with people not interested in racing.

[@Joeytheknife905]

Saved me more than a few times , thank you Team O'Neil

[@iseewhatyoudidthere1245]

Thank you for this info!! By getting into the habit of left foot braking I avoided what would have been a very nasty collison! That extra second made All the difference. Thank you Wyatt and Team O'Neill!

[@pete5534]

The weight transfer argument is very strong. I've taken to left foot braking primarily in wintertime when driving a variety of work vehicles - all automatic transmission. My own vehicles are all manual, and you've now opened my mind to trying this technique with my own cars. Thanks!

[@johndorian4078]

Strong, but his visual didn't really show it.. it just looked like he was trying to lean forward and back and then trying really hard not to lean forward or back.

[@nathanwabre]

Great Video! Love left foot braking as an anti-lag on turbocharged cars, it helps a lot!

[@mihaililiev7303]

Liked before watching! Great video.

[@robinsmith110]

Great info again. Thank you!

[@leganjan]

i have been incorporating this since you put similar video about left foot braking couple months back. It realy gives you confidence that you can stop and react quicker. Lots of wild life in my country :)

[@GunnarSalyer]

I started teaching my left foot to brake recently, and shortly afterward was was driving in the ozark hills and was really glad I had started using my left foot braking

[@batuaerial213]

Good points! Thanks for sharing

[@oldshreddies2080]

Fully agree to everything you've said. Especially relevent to me was that I come from a small town, and when I travelled to a large city, left foot braking was really useful in the super heavy traffic going at speeds that we just don't hit in my hometown. That better reaction time left foot braking gave me was really confidence inspiring.

[@Ikirupp9994]

thanks for saying it out loud!

[@Aabbcczzxxcc]

After go kart practice always use it

[@marcox4358]

same here xd

[@BruceCarbonLakeriver]

same here xD .. and I had a harsh instructor xD

[@jameswohler985]

Great video, I drive manual and hate myself for being wonky on the LFB. I like this video because it points out you should be always be working on getting better. Would like the advanced video on this and applying to track/racing if you get a chance. Thanks for all the supurb work!

[@cesarg4328]

Been doing it for 9 years now. It´s great and the time reaction for braking is so low.

[@jazbuh1794]

After seeing race car drivers doing this in test drives, I started left foot braking in my manual about 3 years ago on my daily drive to work and I found the issue I had was getting use to the pedal feel. First few times I jabbed the brakes way to hard, but now I do it all the time. Lots of fun in the snow! #weighttransfer

[@barrycuda3769]

In an auto car I use my left to brake' the only time I use my right foot (in an auto) is if I've been on the road a long time and maybe my left leg is getting a bit numb. In a manual car I brake only with my right foot' this is because when stopping in a manual car it has always been important to me to disengage the driveline at the same time.

[@99unclebob]

Left foot braking has saved my bacon on a number of occasions , wit automatic and std transmissions, great video

[@hannibalchang6395]

had to start implementing left foot braking a few weeks back when i kind of injured my right leg [couldn't rotate ankle quick enough for split second reactions if necessary]. luckily i started playing around with LFB a few years ago when i picked up my miata. came into good use coincidentally a few days ago. cyclist came out of nowhere, left foot was hovering the brake pedal, interestingly enough I didn't switch over to my right foot. front end and my head jolted but left foot jammed on the brakes almost instantly and i traveled maybe three feet. I was at a stop sign but it amazes how quickly you can stop with left foot braking [even if it's a few tenths of second]. I wouldn't have believed it if someone else told me but never did I think I'd come to the day I'd have to use LFB but I'm glad I did. Gave me a chance to experience real life situations using an unorthodox technique. It's great! Haha

[@RevolutionHappens]

Great info good points

[@IvanQuaglia]

sure I'll try! thanks

[@mosween6278]

Great videos - I’ve been to a winter driving class here they are good teachers

[@Teamoneilrally]

Thanks Morgan!

[@gonzalo_conducir]

is that an Insta 30 one X you use for your rolling shots? looks very cool

[@mantis_toboggan_md]

I right root brake and left foot accelerate, very precise and never confusing.

[@nlevesque137]

I really like that left foot in daily driving situations ! Look forward to a follow up in the snow and maybe FWD vs. AWD (are there differences)... i seldom use left foot braking but I’m still not using the technique in emergencies, my right foot reflexes takes over still... thanks for the great content!

[@VKSgtSLaughter]

AND... If you've got big feet you won't accidentally stomp both pedals. Great video!

[@willieevans10]

I grew up racing go karts so I’ve been left foot braking since I started driving. You should see me trying to brake with my right foot. It’s made driving a manual quite a challenge for me as I rely solely on my left foot to brake so getting to the clutch and braking is tough for me. Thank god automatics are getting so good. People always try to tell me it’s dangerous. I feel it gives you way better control of the vehicle as long as you’ve practiced it and are decent at it.

[@kvcsoliver]

I learned left foot breaking when the iac valve went bad on my peugeot 😂😂

[@endlessdrive8421]

It's so weird...in sim racing, it's second nature to left foot brake and I'm totally fine when doing it in that environment, but as soon as I try to left foot brake in my real car, that shit feels like a bull that wants to send over the hood lol

[@RCmaniac667]

I have a question: in the track use left foot braking only applicable when there is no need to downshift, otherwise sticking to heel-and-toe? I asking this because modulating brake pressure is tough when heel-and-toeing

[@chrisbouchard4719]

I'm also curious about this

[@brianrichards782]

On the track lfb is more of a mid corner adjustment or tipping into the corner, you can heel toe to 1st/2nd then shimmy over your left foot into the brake by putting both feet on the brake and then taking away the right footwithout taking away brake pressure. Or you can downshift without clutch you just have to be good at revmatching and be confident at putting it In gear without clutch but I find that its pretty hard to get perfect so I just heel toe and shimmy.

[@MyLonewolf25]

You would transition your feet to heal and toe

[@brexxes]

Shifting down by rev matching would be an option. Requires some practice too but it is possible

[@Teamoneilrally]

You're on-point. Basically: the goal is to brake ambidextrously. When you need to operate the clutch and brake simultaneously, just RFB and/or heel-toe as normal. The rest of the time, LFB. That or get a sequential transmission and LFB all the time!

[@Rinyotsu]

LFB gave me the time to react to a driver who misjudged the distance when getting on the road and didn't choose a lane as I was in the middle of a pass. I tried braking, realized I was too close, he finally picked the passing lane so I made sure I was past the guy I was passing and gunned it for the slow lane. Sounds complicated but all this happened in approximately 3 seconds at 65mph.

[@B.R.BGarage]

It looks like that this works great even with a automatic transmission equipped vehicle and personally I think it’s useful especially if you got a manual mode or override and being able to use the desired gear(s) for cornering and weight transferring regardless of the driving conditions

[@ShibaInuMochi]

I've been left foot braking in my auto integra (first car) since I got it and now it's second nature to left foot brake. I'm moving on to a manual gt86 and can't wait to apply these to my technique once.

[@JoeIsCrazyWillman]

This is absolutely true! I do that maybe 50% of the time.

[@smiffythecat3751]

Yep. Fairly well said.

[@da_sym]

I know left foot braking is great for racing and emergency situations but I have found I can’t do it smoothly, like heel and toe, if I get caught at a yellow light or quickly slowing down where a downshift is necessary. I don’t want to stall when I get caught at a yellow light and have to stop quickly but not as an emergency. Likewise sometimes you can be accelerating up to 3rd gear and then have a 2nd gear corner. On public roads it’s not economical or comfortable to hold the gear up to near redline like one would on a race track and it’s equally uncomfortable to go around the corner in 3rd gear with no power on the exit and an understeery balance due to the gear.

[@mikaelgaiason688]

You don't need the clutch to get into neutral. It will easily slide out of gear when you get off the throttle and just before stalling. If it's a big emergency where you have to lock the tires up and come to a complete stop you shouldn't be worrying about stalling it, you should be concentrating on surviving. For yellow lights, just slide it into neutral without the clutch at the same time as getting off the gas, or if you miss that window you can keep light steady pressure on the stick and it will slip out at about idle. You can always give it a good decisive yank and it will also slip out, not doing any damage as long as you're assertive enough. As far as corners go, you should be in the appropriate gear BEFORE the corner. If you're shifting up or down in the middle of it you're probably doing something wrong.

[@trevn__]

You can put the car out of gear without the clutch and avoid stalling in Red Light situations. In emergency braking you should focus on trying to avoid an accident no matter if your car stalls or not.

[@da_sym]

@@mikaelgaiason688 I know you can put it in neutral, i just prefer not to if i can get away with a little help from engine braking but that's just me being picky. As for downshifting, if I'm in 3rd gear at like 3500rpm approaching a corner i'm not going to downshift to second and rev to like 5k before even touching the brakes. I would do it in the braking zone before the corner but when my left foot is over the brake I naturally use it to brake which then means i can't downshift while braking. I just find it hard to justify left foot braking on public roads other than for emergency stops.

[@mikaelgaiason688]

@@da_sym It sounds like you're not using engine braking right. If you're driving something that 5k is high, then 3.5k should be plenty high enough to get out of the corner. You don't left foot brake ALL the time, you have to learn when to use it. Much like any other technique. You keep bringing up public roads, yet you're also complaining about not being able to downshift while braking and needing to downshift mid corner... Are you a new driver?

[@da_sym]

Mikael Gaiason that’s not what I’m saying but I don’t know how to explain it very well. haha I know how to drive, just *sometimes* feel left foot braking isn’t the answer. I just find when my left foot is over the brake, I’ll naturally use it to brake even when I shouldn’t. I’m sure it’s the same for others.

[@MindDezign]

A reviewer was road testing a vintage 240Z to see how it compares ,with modern Sports Cars, he was saying things like, this is more analog ,no anti lock brakes, no power steering, you can hear every stone and pebble, your tire goes over! You ,have to be engaged ,driving! No texting and driving, your to busy driving,!!! And then he said " this car is amazingly easy, to heel and toe,imagine they thought about that,way back when !!!" I cried, laughing ,so hard from that ,Statement, for a good while!!! I still tear up ,laughing so hard retelling the story!!. God that's funny !

[@matejhosner1980]

Good. Thanks.

[@AlexN2022]

another reason: when you're injured you can drive with either foot. Provided it is an automatic - which is also one more reason for driving an automatic over manual.

[@helenrigsby2328]

chas Rigsby Sure makes sense to me now,thanks neighbor.

[@SawyerKIDRED]

Excellent video. Anytime I drive on the street with an automatic I always use left-foot braking because it makes it more engaging. I've got one question though about left braking in a manual. In say a panic stop where you slam on the brake with your left foot, is there a way to take the car out of gear without the clutch or is it easier to just let the car come to a complete stop in gear and stall?

[@alwinspeelman1]

In in my car it's possible to just pull it out of a gear without using the clutch. I don't know how bad it is for the transmission tho....

[@da_sym]

You can pull a car out of gear without the clutch but I agree it’s not ideal.

[@tjbach8213]

If you're coming to a full stop fast because you need to, just let the car stall out it will be fine compared to messing up the stopping part trying to do something else

[@PunchingW00d]

@@tjbach8213 I'm not sure I agree, sometimes after coming to an emergency stop it's important to be able to accelerate again. I'd rather not have to turn the key to get going again

[@ronaldssvarups1954]

Just press the gas slightly (with right foot) whilst breaking. It will relieve the pressure in transmission gears and it will be very easy to take it out of gear. Never pull it out with force! Only when the gears are “relaxed”. Try it yourself. You’ll see that they become loose just after releasing gas. I use it all the time with LFB and do clutch-less shifts, so my foot never leaves the brake pedal. Only when i need to start again in the 1st gear. Hope that helps. :)

[@alvinchan7746]

left foot braking defs works. passed a driving test with it. extremely handy in stop go traffic!

[@benc8386]

Great video and those are all good reasons to LFB especially the one about reaction time (which is more relevant on the street than on the track) but here are some reasons not to LFB: You're driving a manual (obviously) so there are compromises. On the street you rarely brake without downshifting because you tend to go into the higher gears between corners as it's a bit more relaxed. But you don't want to be bogged down out of corners in a high gear so even a fast corner with very little braking has you going from 6th to 4th. This means that even if you start braking with the left foot you will have to do a switcheroo so you can change gears. At road speeds in a modern car the braking distances are so short anyway it's hardly worth it as you're lfbing for such a short time. The point about smooth weight transfer is well made but lifting off suddenly doesn't have much effect in the higher gears at road speed which tends to be where you're starting your deceleration from. Finally in a road car where you aren't as firmly held by the seat it's nice to have your left foot braced on the foot rest rather than hovering over the brake for a nice stable position in the car. I used to LFB in my Mini with four drum brakes that usually needed a bit of pumping, huge braking distances by today's standards, and a big penalty for unnecessary lifting as hardly any engine power) but I've since got out of the habit.

[@atomicgunpla]

I can’t stop looking at those brutal looking boots

[@youtubestudent6484]

What're those!!!!!!

[@novemberlima1025]

I right foot brake and i drive a stick and ive learnes that even in an emergency, its better to stall the car than need a new front end. I also do this at the dealership i work at and still stand as the only service runner with no moving accidents

[@sparklygames71]

I've been using left foot braking especially in loose conditions in my car for a while now.

[@liameisenberg9711]

I think the one lever scenario at the begining is an interesting example because that's basically what regen braking hybrid vehicles do. Letting off the gas isn't coasting, it actually slows the car down, sometimes so much so that the brake lights need to turn on just from letting off the gas. The brake pedal is basically "Brake Plus."

[@masonsamuels347]

I feel so special ... I have always done this

[@AleksandrHalas]

Very nice. I was try but it not easy

[@efonefifty]

I'd love to see more video showing the foot work for left foot braking and combining that with rev matching on downshifts just to get the methods downpat and see it visually. Do that and a video of weight transfer and I think it would be a excellent primer for an intro to high performance driving.

[@MindDezign]

Only been driving sports cars since I was 16. I've had to explain this every single time Some one sees me driving two feet in an automatic. I drive this way in both auto and standard. I've been explaining this for years. Most brain washed people think it's wrong.....ha ha , ok I'm 65 only been in one accident when only the passing lane , came to a screech hault ,driving an empty box truck , and I was able ,due to heavy traffic , be able to minimise it into a rear quarter scrape instead of a ,nose stuffed into the tail. It's great to finally have a video I can show, the nay sayers...so THANKS !!! I still drive,sports cars daily. My 240z is perfect , for driving !!

[@HostmorkeCZ]

Lift off over-steer? On a rainy day I was heading to the local big city, had my Yokohama AD08r on the Honda. I accelerated on the round about with my left foot on the brake and ended in a slight under-steer, jibed the brake pedal and transitioned to a drift all the way through the 90 degree on ramp. Felt amazing and so controlled in my fwd ep3.

[@LifeofStrife]

Left foot braking with a Dodge Ram was a little tricky at first since you can not rest your heel on anything, the pedal is very high up and center. However, I constantly wear boots so there has been a couple times where, when switching between throttle and brake quickly, I have slipped or got caught between them.

[@grippysockgf]

Well in my 2012 Camry I started left foot breaking, and also I will say yes it’s an auto with a manumatic bs, but I rev match it when using manual mode shifts so much smoother Breaking- I stop a lot smoother now with left foot breaking and it’s starting to be more comfortable

[@Lightsout89]

I started driving here in Australia when I was 12 yrs old it was a 1998 Mitsubishi magna and It was a manual we lived on a farm and this car was used to drive us to the end of the driveway where the bus would pick us up as the driveway was 3or4km long dirt road and so I would left foot brake and my brother used to say im doing it wrong and to brake with my right foot and my dad would then say the same thing if he seen me use my left and all my life I felt better left foot if its manual or auto its just the way I do it and most comfortable doing it and the amount of times I out braked someone and or avoided a collision from being able to use this technique is amazing and now im trying to show/prove/teach my now misses to left foot brake as she likes to drive close to people for some reason and im saying this will allow you to brake so much quicker if they slam the brakes on your ready but the main thing using this technique in everyday driving is dont under no circumstance rest your foot on the brake you'll heat them up to glowing red literally so just rest your weight of your foot on the heel and pivot left and right as need be

[@sixthsensesports3713]

LOL this whole time I didnt know you were in NH! Only hour away from me. Cant wait to do the drift school

[@poekly]

I’m only 15 but I’ve been sim racing for about 6 months now, and have used left foot braking the whole time, I don’t have my permit yet, but my aunt let me drive her car up and down the drive way, and she was dead set that I shouldn’t use left foot for braking, oughta show her this

[@JohnFlower-NZ]

Your call. It might be easier just to play her game and play yours when she is out of the car.

[@apelsin19]

I use a turbo diesel for every day commute. Low revs and great torque in combination with left foot breaking is a game changer for "lazy active driving"

[@shelbyz1988]

I learned to left foot brake when I was driving shitty cars in my teens and the engine would choke and stall if you take your foot off the throttle at a stop. It just stuck with me and always drive like that. It’s saved my bacon a few times having my foot hovering over the pedal and being able to brake immediately. I also like rolling on the throttle a little bit before releasing the brake to load the driveline before going full throttle coming out of a corner, takes the jerk out of it.

[@giannisweightlifting3996]

Great job, great driver. When you left foot brake during turn in a fwd, (ofc the reason is to go faster, thats what i want at least) you do it being on throttle,(i mean pressing gas and brake in the same time or you let throttle and you go back to it, after trail braking ends. ?

[@srsairbags]

In the rain this is a must do because my car brakes get wet and need to be massaged to get the water out.

[@zahari_s_stoyanov]

I developed this habit with my previous car - a mildly modified Fiat Bravo 1.9jtd. One time I got stuck behind a slow car on the local twisties. Eventually, after one of the corners, I saw an opportunity and went for it. Reached the top of 2nd and my left leg shot for the clutch but I'd forgotten to move it over so I actually slammed the brakes to the floor(no ABS). The car started squirreling on me but I was able to catch it :D For contrast, same road, different drive, different corner(blind 180 degree left-hander) - I was exiting the corner and had started applying more gas. Found out there were pedestrians on the inside and the on-coming car was in my lane. I was really pleased with how well I was able to handle the situation with the left foot on the brake and avoid that head-on collision :)

[@Fiction_Supreme]

Way ahead of you. Lol. Started learning left foot braking in the streets.

[@survivalseniors3382]

Last week at a job the home owner told to go ahead and park in the driveway. As I was backing and got about 10 feet from the jeep in the driveway and went to stop the truck speed up. I'm S...t and tried to panic brake and rammed the jeep pushing it about 5 feet sliding all four tires so I hit it pretty hard. It is my routine to wear a body camera when working so I watched the footage. The camera had turned down on the chest harness and was looking at my feet. My left foot was on the rake the whole time. Only thing that makes since is the right foot was pushing on the gas too. I have been left foot braking mostly for years for all the reasons you covered. I back into my own driveway every day and there is a motor cycle and a garage door within 5 feet of where I stop. Never an issue. NO drinking or drugs.

[@ejv0wjc08gtsnoj0]

Bringing your left foot from footrest to brake is fine. Keeping your left foot on the brake for left foot braking is not. People need to tell the difference. Great video as always. I learn a lot from your channel about street driving that my ex-rally driver instructor didn't have time to teach.

[@CharAznableLoNZ]

I kept pushing the brake like the clutch. It's hard to break that habit. Can't wait for the next will it drift video.

[@thexpto51]

Do a video on how left foot braking apply on a track day. Nice job!

[@baphometazrael1892]

I actually learned to and still drive like that... I was always criticized for it but to me, i grew up playing racing sims and in those, you have one trigger for gas and the other trigger for brake, so I figure one foot on gas and the other on the brake. Tried doing it “normal” a few times but I always press way to lightly that way and don’t slow down enough lol