rec.autos.simulators

by **pl..** » Wed, 05 Jul 2000 04:00:00

I was watching a tape of Grand Prix and noticed that all of the close
ups of the driver's feet showed them using only their right foot to
press the brake pedal. I have been using my left foot to brake since
this seemed the most logical given the layout of my TSW pedal set,
however this may not be the most realistic technique.

I never left-foot brake in my real car (not a Lotus 49!) so my left
foot braking in GPL would not seem to be much of an aid in improving my
actual performance on the road. I tried GPL using my right foot only,
and found it to be awkward at first, but my comfort improved as I
gained more practice.

I have seen the issue of one or two axis braking debated in RAS, but
there has not ben much discussion of left versus right foot braking.
Do any of you have a strong preference either way?

Sent via Deja.com http://www.racesimcentral.net/
Before you buy.

by **Davi** » Wed, 05 Jul 2000 04:00:00

With small formula cars with three pedals on the floor, IE not modern F1
cars the drivers usually have to right foot brake due to room in the
footwell and things like the steering linkage. For sedans tho left foot
braking offers an advantage due to being able to brake quicker and
accelerate faster allow with being able to trail brake effectively. This
is toosed out the window tho if the driver has to downshift during braking
for a corner.

Dave

by **Matt Phelp** » Wed, 05 Jul 2000 04:00:00

I'm a left foot braker partly because I like to be able to correct any
oversteer and be quicker accelerating out of corners.

It's weird because I have never LFB before in my roadcar (although I have
driven Karts a bit) - I actually tried to do some LF Braking in my road car
the other day and almost crashed into the guy in front!!

by **Ken McDanie** » Wed, 05 Jul 2000 04:00:00

Simply put, both feet are tools to help in car control. sometimes the left
foot makes more sense to use on the brakes than the right. There is no hard
and fast rule here. It is a matter of individual style. I use left and right
foot braking in my real car depending on what is going on. Often the left
foot is just to settle the car a bit at a turn in while staying on the gas
with the right. In GPL I left foot brake exclusively. (No clutch to worry
about). This lets you continue to brake well past turn in and use the gas to
point the car at the same time. You must have some rear brake bias to make
this technique work well.

There are some interesting articles about vehicle dynamics called "The Edge
Of Adhesion" at http://bovineracing.com/zgnews.htm

Ken

by **Ruud van Ga** » Wed, 05 Jul 2000 04:00:00

On Tue, 4 Jul 2000 04:19:41 +0100, "Matt Phelps"

>I'm a left foot braker partly because I like to be able to correct any
>oversteer and be quicker accelerating out of corners.

>It's weird because I have never LFB before in my roadcar (although I have
>driven Karts a bit) - I actually tried to do some LF Braking in my road car
>the other day and almost crashed into the guy in front!!

LOL! I tried it a few days ago, with no-one close around, and it
struck me that I was really insenstive with my left foot on my (real)
brakes! I really slowed down way too fast.
I still left foot brake in GPL though. I think it's faster, because it
allows you to compensate sometimes when understeering, and I spend
quite some time I think both braking AND throttling.

Ruud van Gaal
MarketGraph / MachTech: http://www.marketgraph.nl
Art: http://www.marketgraph.nl/gallery

by **pl..** » Wed, 05 Jul 2000 04:00:00

This is part of the reason I originally posed the question of right
versus left foot braking - are we GPL faithful gaining any real driving
skills in our many hours at the PC race tracks? Dale Earnhart Jr.,
Juan Montoya, and other racing talents reportedly sim-race frequently
and some claim that this practice is a benefit to them in their actual
racing.

I think that we are gaining valuable reflex practice at a level far
beyond what we could obtain with real racing. Not even pro racers can
log 1 to 2 hours of track time per day - but we can (if our chores are
done!).

My concern is that left foot braking is practicing the WRONG reflex
action. In an emergency, reflexes prevail, and I intend to start using
my right foot for braking in GPL and other sims.

Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.

by **Ken MacKa** » Wed, 05 Jul 2000 04:00:00

I have used left foot braking since I started with GPL. I found it awkward
at first but now I think I'd find it clumsy to switch pedals quickly only
using my right foot. I also find that a little left foot braking while in
a turn can help correct understeer, taking my right foot of the gas and
applying the brake would upset the car and create bigger problems. I'm no
master at car control but it works for me.

I caught some footage of a rally race a few weeks ago that showed the
drivers feet. The only time he had his left foot off the brake was to use
the clutch.

Ken MacKay
Halifax, Canada
GPL Handicap +103.25

> I was watching a tape of Grand Prix and noticed that all of the close
> ups of the driver's feet showed them using only their right foot to
> press the brake pedal. I have been using my left foot to brake since
> this seemed the most logical given the layout of my TSW pedal set,
> however this may not be the most realistic technique.

> I never left-foot brake in my real car (not a Lotus 49!) so my left
> foot braking in GPL would not seem to be much of an aid in improving my
> actual performance on the road. I tried GPL using my right foot only,
> and found it to be awkward at first, but my comfort improved as I
> gained more practice.

> I have seen the issue of one or two axis braking debated in RAS, but
> there has not ben much discussion of left versus right foot braking.
> Do any of you have a strong preference either way?

> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> Before you buy.

by **Louis O'Carrol** » Wed, 05 Jul 2000 04:00:00

lol

I actually tried to do some LF Braking in my road car

by **Matt Phelp** » Wed, 05 Jul 2000 04:00:00

I think almost all of the open wheel racers use LF Braking nowadays -
definatly in Formula One.

> > - I actually tried to do some LF Braking in my road car
> > the other day and almost crashed into the guy in front!!

> This is part of the reason I originally posed the question of right
> versus left foot braking - are we GPL faithful gaining any real driving
> skills in our many hours at the PC race tracks? Dale Earnhart Jr.,
> Juan Montoya, and other racing talents reportedly sim-race frequently
> and some claim that this practice is a benefit to them in their actual
> racing.

> I think that we are gaining valuable reflex practice at a level far
> beyond what we could obtain with real racing. Not even pro racers can
> log 1 to 2 hours of track time per day - but we can (if our chores are
> done!).

> My concern is that left foot braking is practicing the WRONG reflex
> action. In an emergency, reflexes prevail, and I intend to start using
> my right foot for braking in GPL and other sims.

> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> Before you buy.

by **Michael Youn** » Wed, 05 Jul 2000 04:00:00

I use the left foot on the brake in GPL, and have no trouble transitioning
back to the real thing. Even the sequential shifter hasn't caused me any
difficulty (outside of other games, that is). The advantage to left foot
braking in GPL is smoother and more consistent gas-brake-gas transitions.
You simply don't have opportunity for this to be meaningful in street
driving. OTOH, if you're the type to threshold brake into the 15 mph turn at
the end of the exit ramp, you've got much more serious things to worry about
than confusing controls.

The larger lessons -- what the car does near traction limits, and how you
effect weight transfer -- apply. The actions can be the same, even though
the controls are different.

Michael.

> > - I actually tried to do some LF Braking in my road car
> > the other day and almost crashed into the guy in front!!

> This is part of the reason I originally posed the question of right
> versus left foot braking - are we GPL faithful gaining any real driving
> skills in our many hours at the PC race tracks? Dale Earnhart Jr.,
> Juan Montoya, and other racing talents reportedly sim-race frequently
> and some claim that this practice is a benefit to them in their actual
> racing.

> I think that we are gaining valuable reflex practice at a level far
> beyond what we could obtain with real racing. Not even pro racers can
> log 1 to 2 hours of track time per day - but we can (if our chores are
> done!).

> My concern is that left foot braking is practicing the WRONG reflex
> action. In an emergency, reflexes prevail, and I intend to start using
> my right foot for braking in GPL and other sims.

> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> Before you buy.

by **robswindell** » Wed, 05 Jul 2000 04:00:00

I always practice with my right foot, as I feel it prepares me well for
real life racing. However, I switch to my left-foot when I'm on VROC. As
well as being faster, it gives me more confidence to control the car and be
more consistent.

Rob Swindells

> I was watching a tape of Grand Prix and noticed that all of the close
> ups of the driver's feet showed them using only their right foot to
> press the brake pedal. I have been using my left foot to brake since
> this seemed the most logical given the layout of my TSW pedal set,
> however this may not be the most realistic technique.

> I never left-foot brake in my real car (not a Lotus 49!) so my left
> foot braking in GPL would not seem to be much of an aid in improving my
> actual performance on the road. I tried GPL using my right foot only,
> and found it to be awkward at first, but my comfort improved as I
> gained more practice.

> I have seen the issue of one or two axis braking debated in RAS, but
> there has not ben much discussion of left versus right foot braking.
> Do any of you have a strong preference either way?

> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> Before you buy.

by **LegendNo** » Wed, 05 Jul 2000 04:00:00

Racing on ovals in real life, I have found left foot braking allows me to
find a rhythm. The right foot goes down, left comes up when exiting a turn,
then left down right up as I enter a turn. After 40-50 laps of practice,
this became an instinctive rhythm--moving the feet as if riding a bike. I
have never road raced in real life, but in sim-racing, I found I can get
into a rhythm on road courses as well. The only time the rhythm is broken
is in traffic.

Others I know prefer to right brake, the split second from the time the foot
releases the gas and gets on the brake allows the chassis to settle a little
(so they say, I would think it would be very little), and they can enter
turns better for their driving style. I found my lap times increased with
right braking, so I quit using it.

As a rule, use what gets you around the track fastest. Like chassis setups,
you just have to experiment and find what fits your driving style.

> I was watching a tape of Grand Prix and noticed that all of the close
> ups of the driver's feet showed them using only their right foot to
> press the brake pedal. I have been using my left foot to brake since
> this seemed the most logical given the layout of my TSW pedal set,
> however this may not be the most realistic technique.

> I never left-foot brake in my real car (not a Lotus 49!) so my left
> foot braking in GPL would not seem to be much of an aid in improving my
> actual performance on the road. I tried GPL using my right foot only,
> and found it to be awkward at first, but my comfort improved as I
> gained more practice.

> I have seen the issue of one or two axis braking debated in RAS, but
> there has not ben much discussion of left versus right foot braking.
> Do any of you have a strong preference either way?

> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> Before you buy.

by **Marc Dav** » Fri, 07 Jul 2000 04:00:00

>I was watching a tape of Grand Prix and noticed that all of the close
>ups of the driver's feet showed them using only their right foot to
>press the brake pedal. I have been using my left foot to brake since
>this seemed the most logical given the layout of my TSW pedal set,
>however this may not be the most realistic technique.

> I never left-foot brake in my real car (not a Lotus 49!) so my left
>foot braking in GPL would not seem to be much of an aid in improving my
>actual performance on the road. I tried GPL using my right foot only,
>and found it to be awkward at first, but my comfort improved as I
>gained more practice.

>I have seen the issue of one or two axis braking debated in RAS, but
>there has not ben much discussion of left versus right foot braking.
>Do any of you have a strong preference either way?

>Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
>Before you buy.

I used to Rally a lot of front drive Cars and believe me Left foot
Braking is a very real technique

rec.autos.simulators

GPL: Right Foot Braking

GPL: Right Foot Braking

GPL: Right Foot Braking

GPL: Right Foot Braking

GPL: Right Foot Braking

GPL: Right Foot Braking

GPL: Right Foot Braking

GPL: Right Foot Braking

GPL: Right Foot Braking

GPL: Right Foot Braking

GPL: Right Foot Braking

GPL: Right Foot Braking

GPL: Right Foot Braking

GPL: Right Foot Braking