When you are approaching a turn and you are getting ready to drift around the turn, you will need to down shift to make your rear tires break loose, while also keeping your RPM level constant, so your wheels keep spinning and eventually slide around the turn.  One way to combine both of these movements together is to learn how to heel-toe downshift.

Benefits of Heel-Toe Down Shifting

Heel-toe down shifting allows the driver to keep the vehicle from shifting weight to the front, by eliminating the time between gears and minimizing the breaking needed to begin the drift.  This process also decreases the chances of having wheels lock up and missing the drift completely.

How to Heel-Toe Downshift

To begin the heel-toe downshift, you must first know that the entire motion is continuous.  Even though it may seem like a long process when you are reading it, both feet are actually moving and performing actions to downshift in less than a second.

You must begin by heading towards the corner and approaching the breaking point, where you will begin the drift.  As soon as you reach the breaking point, right before the corner, quickly press the break with the toes on your right foot.  You are simply breaking to lower the RPM of the engine, so you can down shift without over-revving the engine.   As soon as you press the break with your right foot’s toes, immediately push in the clutch with your left foot.

Once you feel the gear disengage, twist your your right foot, while your right foot’s toes remain on the break, and press the gas pedal with the heel of your right foot.  When you press the gas pedal with your right foot, you should be trying to rev-up the engine to match the RPM where the lower gear will rev up to, once you downshift.

As soon as you match the revolutions to the road speed, release the clutch smoothly, so the car begins to decelerate, and then release the break.  Turn into the corner, begin to accelerate, and complete the drift.

Practice, Practice, Practice…

Heel-toe down shifting will take practice!  Depending on your vehicle’s pedal placement and the amount of pressure needed to push in the pedals, it may be very easy to learn or very difficult.  With practice and even some minor adjustments, you should be able to master the heel-toe down shifting process, in order to obtain better drifts around corners.

One of the most popular cars to drift in is the rear wheel drive Toyota Corolla, model year range 1984-1987. This generation of Corolla is also known to as the Hachi Roku.

One reason people like to drift in these cars is that they are relatively inexpensive. This is important because when it comes to drifting, especially for a beginner, it’s probable that the car is going to get banged up! After all, drifting is basically sliding, and your first several times sliding around in the car will be hard to control. So you’ll hit some curbs, to say the least.

A good place to go for Corolla parts or Toyota parts in general is Andy’s Auto Sport. (make the underlined parts be functional links)