Changing up Gears Quickly and Smoothly by Dropping the Clutch - includes slow motion

Upshifting smoothly in a manual car can take a little bit of time, particularly when it comes to lifting the clutch up. But if you time it right you can drop the clutch whilst keeping it smooth. In this video I use slow motion to help you learn how to drop the clutch smoothly.
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This video is a guide intended to help people who are learning to drive with a driving instructor in the UK, it is by no means a replacement for driving lessons with an appropriately qualified driving instructor.
Laws and driving rules may be different in your country. The makers of this video cannot be held liable for any consequences caused by any information that is in any way inaccurate, misleading or missing. The makers of this video are not liable for any person's driving other than their own, it is the responsibility of the person driving a vehicle to ensure they drive safely and within the law. The makers of this video are also not liable for any person failing a driving test as a result of the information provided in the video.
00:00 What I'm going to do
00:45 Slow acceleration Leon
01:18 How to drop the clutch smoothly
01:54 Slow motion in the Leon
04:36 Flat out in the Leon
05:22 Flat out slow motion in the Leon
06:42 Slow acceleration MX5
07:54 Slow motion in the MX5
08:42 Flat out in the MX5
09:30 Flat out slow motion in the MX5
10:00 Not for everyone
11:22 Outro

[@jamiemiller8874]

Never thought I’d see a driving instructor teaching us how to get good 0-60 times.

[@artemkatelnytskyi]

The best driving instructor is the one who likes to drive.

[@ConquerDriving]

Haha, you may be interested in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZmesqGiVg9x2ipY

[@d4tjr165]

Well Richard is no normal instructor he’s the goat!!

[@lockenessmotorsports818]

@@ConquerDriving Just checked that out awesome love a 5 I own a 94 eunos :) so much fun

[@BasedMan]

@@artemkatelnytskyi My current instructor used to rally for BMW and Alpine back in the 80s. Hes the best ive had.

[@Xavier-ez6vb]

Passed my driving test today, can finally watch these videos without stress

[@GamingPloop]

nice. got mine tomorrow. hopefully things go well.

[@freddiekb1004]

YES. This is exactly how I felt before I passed my test, but now I can watch with joy :D

[@dawid842]

@@GamingPloop good luck man, you will do this

[@ConquerDriving]

That's great to hear, congratulations on passing!

[@Xavier-ez6vb]

@@ConquerDriving thanks bro couldn’t have done it without your videos no joke

[@bendonaldson8764]

What a skilled driver. And the amount of detail explaining and demonstrating as well. I can see the effort you put into your videos and it really pays off!

[@mutongoria]

Driven manual for 30 years and this is by far best channel for manual driving in my opinion. New drivers will make their learning curve quicker by using what is shown in the channel.

[@GearGrinder1133]

0 hours of lessons, purely watching DGN and Conquer driving got me through my test. Thankyou so much!

[@Manny.64]

Tell me about it! These guys are life savers

[@ConquerDriving]

That's excellent! Congratulations!

[@toninocars]

6:30 it’s a VW polo 1.2 from 2002, electrical fault or likely an oil leak over the exhaust cause of fire. Thanks for sharing your technique about the clutch, I had master clutch long ago now to drive an auto, but this is where we are all going 👌👍

[@ConquerDriving]

I think you're right, a 9n polo. I'm guessing it was burnt on purpose.

[@eray.1605]

damn thats crazy to see. that is my car (first car)

[@sorryvol]

@@ConquerDriving yeah, it was probably stolen

[@vitorleite8449]

I thought about the Lupo, but guess you're right.

[@Viva-Cristo-Rey-]

Yeah it is a 9N the 6N did not have the "extra" window behind the backseat passenger door.

[@smidgethead8501]

This and heel and toe technique for downshifting are up on my list to learn about driving. Fast and smooth!

[@ConquerDriving]

Here is a video on heel and toe: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y4PRgYinZ96oqpY

[@enouf5414]

This is literally the video I have been looking for over a decade - since I first started driving manual! All videos I've seen never really explain how to do an aggressive yet smooth upshift. You've explained it beautifully and I look forward to practicing it over & over. Thanks and keep up the great work! 👍👍

[@Jmenderinyo]

If I understand correctly, in order to shift gears aggressively while maintaining smoothness, you need to wait until the speed is about 100-300 rpm higher than needed for the next gear. But why then professional racers don't wait for the required drop in revs, but rather throw in the clutch and immediately step on the gas? Do they sacrifice smoothness for the sake of time and speed?

[@Veroxzes]

I wish more instructors teached new drivers this. It's important to get up to speed quickly on high speed roads without merging lanes(where a STOP sign usually is), and even more important if you're stopped at a parking spot on the side of the road.

[@JayFe0]

I'm an instructor and I couldn't agree more. Not only getting up to speed but also moving off quickly. You need to be able to take opportunities at e.g. roundabouts.

[@hexabossbossman5731]

@@JayFe0 People who are slow on the onramp to highways makes me want to pop a blood vessel and if it were not for laws, go home to them and stab their tires and plug a sock wrapper around a potato into their exhaust. I'm typically at the highway speed limit 20-40 metres before the solid line ends max. I even did this right after I took my license in my first car, a old -96 with 55 hk altough it took until precisely the end of the solid line then if it was flatter ground, because of how weak the car is. But even in that old shitty car that only a grandma would drive and I only got because money does not grow on trees, I still managed it. It's far safer for everyone if you are up to speed, you can even do this in winter time, but of course you adjust your speed then and accelerate a bit slower to keep control. Other people who are absolute dirtbags are those who start breaking on the highway when then intend to turn off the exit ramp. Like no my man you can start breaking when on the exit ramp, not before it on the highway. Goddamnit! And then you have people in cars with 150-200 hk who cruise along as if it was a picknick ride or a school zone. People are afraid of speed or think they are some hero for slowing down for no real reason at all. Wankers!

[@dreugh424]

​@@hexabossbossman5731 You sound like a very angry person.

[@Xaiborg]

I'm a professional test driver for a major OEM and our proving grounds have great instructors, but the way you teach is something else. You are one of a kind my friend, keep up the amazing work. 👍

[@jesse291]

Tried it out in my parents car, don't let them know but what you're saying is absolutely correct! Bringing the engine rpm down with the clutch is smooth af!!

[@matt_l.u]

One of the most skilled and controlled drivers i have seen!

[@Susucaru]

As someone who purchased their first manual car that also happens to be an mx-5, I really appreciate the videos where you show examples with yours. You've helped me a lot these past two weeks!

[@Sapple498]

Thank you so much for this one! Your timing was impeccable as I've just recently wondered how to shift gears while accelerating hard!

[@zekee1848]

Hey man, drove thru houston traffic during rush hour today and did pretty well. Had some rough shifting once in a while but did really well. I watched and learned from your videos and I just wanted to thank you

[@prsdsa]

Much better, practical and useful content than running around cars revieving just features. Kudos to you Sir.

[@redmini2892]

I know I already said thank you, but I’ve been following your MX-5 advice and now that I know what to focus on, I have improved! All thanks to your video 😃 Many many thanks Richard! Cheers!

[@a51nx]

Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. Thank you again for your videos. They've been invaluable in helping me gain confidence in driving a standard transmission.

[@oolamigoke]

Your videos are excellent man. I taught myself how to drive manual over a decade ago, but watching your channel is helping me become much smoother in small but super significant ways. 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿

[@Logan.A.rademeyer2147]

Wow, you are an extremely good teacher, especially the way you detail your explanations. Playing the video in slow motion while explaining what is happening makes it simple to understand. Your teaching skill is flawless, and I am watching your videos all the way down in South Africa. Your videos helped me to drastically improve my driving skills. Thanks for awesome driving tips.

[@morrismahoney]

Just passed my first drivers test today with only 3 minors! My advice is to not try and focus on what you thought you did wrong. During the test I thought I made a lot more minors than I actually did, so just remember to focus on the present!

[@HSFrox]

I'd be interested to hear what your faults included?

[@ConquerDriving]

Congratulations on passing!

[@Arkeia2903]

Just got a Mazda and struggled a bit passing the 2nd gear without knowing why. Thanks for all the explanation on the rev behaviours and differences, helped me a lot. (MX5 flat-out sound is absolutly amazing)

[@sam7765]

Great video. I'm going to give it a shot now. This made my driving so much smoother. You described the technique brilliantly

[@ccenturionnmc]

Definitely agree with learning to do it slowly first and then working up to doing the action faster. Reminds me of the saying "Slow is smooth, smooth is fast"

[@ConquerDriving]

Very true, that's what my brother says.

[@maalikserebryakov]

@@ConquerDriving😀

[@jasonscotta7129]

So grateful came across this video, been operating a manual for many years. This is my way of up shifting, been told by so many that my clutch will be ruined. Never had any issues in all these years, finally some closure.

[@thanosp.8140]

Amazing level of detail, thank you very much! Edit: After trying this technique with "catching" the falling revs I must say one thing. I'm VERY impressed!

[@VanguardExp]

I’m so glad you made this video. I learned manual by watching your videos. Picked up my car about a year ago and drove it off the lot from what I learned by watching. I never thought I would learn to be at the experience level I am now.

[@gilbertpamba7979]

U didn't get an instructor ?

[@Manny.64]

I watched all of the vids you make, you were the only channel that I could find that I understood. I passed my test today and your vids have played a huge part. Thank you for sharing advice and techniques on your channel so I and others can learn and understand :)

[@ConquerDriving]

That's so great to hear, congratulations on passing!

[@jojo1234a]

I’ve been driving for about 17 years, but still found this helpful. I used to own a Mazda MX5 about a decade ago.

[@BasedMan]

Passed my test today at the 3rd try! Cant express how useful you were! Good thing I bought the car first, 1991 Mitsubishi Lancer GTI 16V, 140hp 5mt

[@Wasserglas45]

Catching the exact rev of the next gear actually wears the least out of the clutch. Everything else is doing more wear on the clutch. So it's a nice skill to learn and keep the clutch alive as long as possible.

[@ConquerDriving]

That's true. But when you get it wrong, all the tiny amounts of clutch wear you have save go straight out the window as normal clutch use causes very little wear, most the wear comes from errors.

[@Suraj-ig5ew]

Ive become confident on how to drive because you just assisted me heavily on how to use the clutch and the greens and Reds about it and made me realise that on uphills the accelerator must be punched and be quick with the clutch. THANKS

[@janehopkins2600]

These videos are brilliant, have been driving for far too many years and have had to work all this out by feel. It’s nice to know what I’ve been doing.

[@crizodude]

Thank you for the manual videos as always Richard! Always more to learn and fine tune my manual skills. 🙌🏻🔥

[@Viva-Cristo-Rey-]

Wow, okay so I have been doing this "unknowingly" for some time now. Did not know it was some kind of technique. I just took a feel at how my car behaves. The more you learn. Great video too!

[@rohan_kurup]

I'm really new to driving, in-fact thanks to my knowledge of riding a bike beforehand, managed to learn driving at 4th gear safely on my 2nd class (3hrs) on a 5 gear vehicle. This I'm definitely going to try moving on as I gain more experience, hoping my 7th class or so. I did have to re-watch multiple times to understand the point of 'matching the clutch to the required gears rev range' at any/all given circumstance. Great video and tonnes of info, thanks!

[@ethannguyen5030]

i’ve literally been trying to get better at this. i’ve been dropping the clutch instantly after changing from 1st to 2nd and the car is very jerky. i didn’t know you had to hold the clutch for about 1k rpm’s before letting it go. thanks a lot for this video cause i’ve seriously been wondering about this for a while now.

[@HUEMOB]

i have this issue too in my wrx the rev hangs so bad if i dont hold the clutch long enough it jerks really bad but to get it right i have to hold it for a crazy amount of time it just doesnt feel right its at least 1 full second maybe longer. everyone says slip the clutch but it sounds terrible and wears it out it seems the only thing i can do about it is to get a cobb access port to tune it so it doesnt have the rev hang anymore. if anyone has insight on this id love to hear it

[@ethannguyen5030]

@@HUEMOB funny that you mention your wrx because when I commented I had an Audi but now I have a wrx and having the exact same issue as you again LOL

[@rythefry8901]

@@HUEMOB Having that exact same issue with my 2016 wrx lmao

[@HUEMOB]

@@ethannguyen5030 @RyTheFry yeah 2 months later still no real solution other than get gud bruh or the Cobb I haven’t got a Cobb but I read that it decreases the hang big time. I still plan to get one when I’ve got an extra 1k$ to burn lol my one tip is just get used to holding the clutch a little longer it will be much smoother thag way and if you wanna go faster hold the clutch a little and then just barely slip it at the end it’s hard to time it right though I always end up doing it too high and get excessive revs it’s just a muscle memory thing keep doing it and you will fuck up less often

[@HUEMOB]

@@rythefry8901 ^^^^also the clutch in and let off gas pedal timeing helps too you wanna press the clutch to the floor like lightning speed and time the gas pedal let off just right. I’d you let off gas’s too late it will hang longer if you play around with it you can get it to drop a bit quicker. Make sure you aren’t adding revs by letting off too late but too early and you get more hang. I just hold the clutch extra when casual driving and just let it accelerate naturally but when I wanna punch it I just slip it as easy as I can.

[@urstupidm8]

this is exactly what i needed, i always drove modern cars but lately got myself a 20 years old shitbox with more power and was surprised about how unforgiving it's gearbox is, i always ended up spinning the tyres or bouncing after gear ups trying to shift gears as fast as possible

[@kieranlineham9044]

Hey Richard. Passed my test today with 10 minors. Your videos have helped immensely. Thank you ✌You have the best socks on KZbin!

[@ConquerDriving]

Congratulations on passing!

[@DJDuga]

So nice to watch, my old man taught me how to drive stick shift, but he’s so experienced and isn’t a patient teacher, funny watching him drive, as he barely pays attention to revs and is smooth with everything, hope I can get to that point

[@MegaGamerscast]

This is very informative, i've been doing this just by instinct never really thought about what i'm doing, but great to have it explained.

[@swooc]

just want to say thanks for the guide. not many videos, if at all, teaches you how to shift at higher revs. ive been driving for a little less than 20 years, and have always shifted by feel and hope for the best lol.

[@k33kat]

You probably heard this a million times but your videos have taught me more than anyone has & I really appreciate you making these !! ❤

[@ConquerDriving]

That's really great to hear! Thank you for watching!

[@kiefershanks4172]

Dude, you're a pro. Respect. I learn so much from you. Thank you!

[@boblecocojames]

I knew all of this but not the theory! Much appreciated, thanks for the help ! Ive been driving fast cars ever since i learned how to drive so it came to me naturally because of my curiosity i like to sit down and learn everything i can, So im glad i was right on most of this stuff! As for the clutch wear THAT IS AN AWESOME thing to know ! Thanks a lot !

[@nikolasfradelos4268]

Best instructor ever, greetings from Greece!!

[@mariuszzbikowski7122]

Great video, I was waiting for something like ages. I haven't met instructor who was able to explain this clearly.

[@innocentfairy89]

I passed my test on thursday. Your videos helped me alot. Three videos specially the anticipation, the one howbtp stay calm on test and the other where you explained how to deal with junctions more calmly

[@ConquerDriving]

That's great to hear, congratulations on passing!

[@Lysol_kb]

very helpful, been on the learning curve for about 2ish weeks. this will help me learn faster shifts on my 2011 sti

[@arthurmroyce]

I have been driving manuals since 1975... I am getting good information from this channel. My bugaboo is the 1st to 2nd shift. I have to shift really fast to make it smooth. The other gears are smooth. You have given me some ideas here for observation.

[@freddiekb1004]

Another video I never knew I wanted... I will definitely be trying this when I get my car back from the garage!

[@leslykisia5026]

You are a perfect teacher and practically on the point very open......😂 so crazy my guy i love it ❤.

[@vijuvlogs]

Pausing at the bite point is the perfect way of engaging the clutch 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻no KZbin channel in India mentioned that

[@thebatmakescomics]

These videos didn't stick with me right away but they have become the best manual videos that I consistently return to when I need to refresh.

[@grqfes]

i have never driven a car but i feel like i really understand, you're a good teacher

[@GuyTakashi73]

I just brought home a 2015 scion fr-s and this channel is my only hope to drive that thing smoothly

[@EndstyleGG]

This is exactly what I've been practicing in our 1.9 jtd diesel, since it is near impossible to consistenly hit a downshift revmatch. It really feels great, better than many automatic transmissions, when you drop the clutch within I would say 100rpm and you don't feel it at all, kinda reminds me of a cvt in a way Side note, I think the reason for the impossible downshift revmatch were stuck vanes in the turbo, which meant a very inconsistent engine response to the exact same throttle input. Did a simple diesel treatment and spray for the turbo and it's incredible how much more responsive the engine feels. Have to retrain my muscle memory and see if I can finally revmach properly :)

[@MysticRixel]

I loved the explanation, really helps with having a more relaxed driving experience. ... Even though I could not focus properly because of your socks.

[@jeheeseun2234]

Tried this today and it helped so much! Ty for providing such a great explanation!

[@Satoscio]

Last friday I passed with extreme ease my driving test and I ought to thank you because I've learned some very useful skills they wouldn't had taught me at driving school. Cheers from Italy and thank you for teaching us for free!

[@ConquerDriving]

That's great to hear, congratulations on passing!

[@Adampazaz]

Your videos have been incredibly helpful in driving a manual. thank you.

[@ConquerDriving]

Glad you like them!

[@bbajraktaro]

Love the videos, great explanation! One thing you might want to think about adding in the future is an obd scanner that can record real-time data from the throttle peddal, clutch, revs, speed etc and then show them in addition to the video footage. Maybe like a time graph that has all the aformentioned data. Keep up the good work! Cheers!

[@aaroncooney3376]

Exceptional driving techniques, and exceptional socks 👍🏻

[@hasansrandomvideos2705]

Impeccable video. Thanks Richard.

[@diegoalvarez6861]

Loved the vid, thank You so much for the lesson Richard 😊

[@bootsbooy]

I understand this video is about shifting gears which I’m grateful for because I need to learn but I just had to say, nice shoes!

[@mantistsai6457]

I'll be frank: I've only driven autos, because manuals cost more to learn at the driving school, cost more in the driving test, and are pretty much extinct in my country (no really, you've got to look hard and far to find a manual, and some cars don't even have manual versions here). But I've been itching to learn and retest for one now that I've got the money and time---just gotta teach myself first. What I want to say is, I'm not sure if it's the drink I just had or his way of explaining, but this feels like the clearest explanation of manual driving I've ever come across.

[@elohoremuraye1316]

Thanks for your videos, I passed with 3 minors. Your energy is extraordinary!

[@ConquerDriving]

That's great to hear, thank you and congratulations on passing!

[@Mysoline1111]

Hey man, I just passed the driving test yesterday and recieved my drivers license. Thank you for everything really, I appreciate it!

[@dorinahrinca304]

league of draaaaaven

[@Mysoline1111]

@@dorinahrinca304 u know it brother

[@ConquerDriving]

That's great to hear, congratulations on passing!

[@abdulrehmanmehtab5472]

His timing is phenomenal he dropped the clutch at the point where RPM is matched what a legend 🔥🔥

[@youssefchemli3108]

Your explication videos are amazing!! They are the best on youtube

[@fabienne50]

They taught me more of a seesaw technique, which is pretty much a never-fails technique if you know the bite point of your car well. But this is definitely much faster and I might try this out just for the heck of it!

[@JcDenton86]

The only person who taught me this technique, is my 66 years old dad, who's been driving since 45+ years, but none of the driving schools are teaching you that with such detail and quality, such a shame tbh. Cheers for the video, great content mate! :) A big thumbs up from Hungary. :)

[@jonnyJgaming4]

Will definitely practice this, I was thinking of this exact thing today while driving 😂

[@nandagopalm849]

advanced technique is very intresting will definetely try out👍 and very good demonstration richard♥️

[@djhdesigner]

Love your videos man. I have my test in a week. I live in Gibraltar, where it is super hilly, busy and narrow so learning has been a big challenge. I'd love it if you could make a video about this kind of driving. May need to come to Gibraltar though!

[@ConquerDriving]

This video may be of interest: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gnmne3qwh7eCi8k

[@Wheatexe]

literally just the video i wanted to see, seeing how skilled you are with cars is cool as shit and reassuring as i know i am learning from the right person.

[@andreylonewolf2463]

in a Citroen C4 Coupe 1.6 L the clutch is slightly heavy and when i gear up i don't need to let the rpm go down because it shoots me in the windshield, i learnt how to be faster in changing gears because this was and is my 1st car, all cars are different you said good, and from this video i learnt something, keep it up with this good stuff (y)

[@Tom-hi3jn]

Oh my god I just realized; I’ve never driven any different than this. It’s so fun to watch you explain the way I drive and it’s to know what vid to show someone to understand me.☺️

[@alexthreepedals5891]

wow this is very helpful! Still practicing my manual driving skills.

[@thomascampione8866]

These videos are great, I'm from the US so driving manual isn't all that regular but I should be getting my first manual car soonish

[@future09021]

nice, now I learned something advanced and understood it pretty well and I'm still learning how to drive.

[@konradk.2715]

Very detailed and informative video (thumbs up, of course). Very helpful, especially for a Miata ND owner (I appreciate the info on 1st to 2nd gear change when flatting out). A suggestion to consider: how to change gears smoothly and (relatively) quickly when downshifting (and not using the heel-toe shifting technique).

[@ConquerDriving]

Thank you and thanks for the suggestion.

[@Sethieguy]

I find this breakdown to be very very cool! And informative thanks!

[@Anonymous-ki2og]

Wish I found this earlier, I just snagged a 2002 sonoma and its my first manual truck ever. This will help me shift a lot smoother. Id been doing this naturally on a dirtbike for a while but I think I was just a bit less confident with a larger vehicle haha!

[@duodag7029]

Thank you for help because my instructor didn't tell me about all these suff. I was thinking that if you were my instructor i could learn faster to drive

[@StuchlikProduction]

I needed this when I learned to drive, but super nice for this generation.

[@andreapuddu2320]

wow, thank you so much. Your video are amazing and you are the best

[@maxloat5255]

bloody high quality video and lad

[@FLAMEalan]

For me doing this at gears 3 and above felt very natural. Only for gears 1 and maybe 2 I do it slow as the car would resist a lot. I’ll give this a try in my parents car next time!

[@enbymina]

loving the shoes and socks by the way. thanks for this mate

[@Noksus]

Thanks for explaining the bite point wear. I was worried I was wearing out my clutch because I pause a lot at the bite point. I have a Mazda 6 2015 2.0L.

[@guitargeorge6423]

What a gem of a video! I recently switched from a Fiat punto to a mk4 focus and i find it harder to do smooth upshifts. Maybe it’s because it’s got a bit of rev hang like the leon

[@user-fm3tr3og1q]

Very nice. The key thing is to make high revs in every gear and than quickly to shift. Perfect, good Mazda.

[@acdcfreak01]

best video on the topic ever!! Thanks👍

[@finnermakesyouseethewithra3134]

I'm jealous of all the people that have you as an instructor

[@ZulRf]

This is applicable with Manual Bike too. Very useful when going uphill or downhill

[@FlVE]

i do this, and it has only been a few months since i started driving. It just felt natural. one more thing i noticed i do is if i have to downshift quickly, i have to release in rising rpm rather than falling for smooth shifting.

[@Sam-hp5hx]

I would have loved to have seen this guy host top gear 😂 you legend!

[@artemkatelnytskyi]

Great explanation as always!