Fast Doc

I have a 991 GT3 and recently attended a track day. The instructor said he only ever brakes with his left foot.
As we are all embracing PDK technology can anyone who tracks regularly recommend which foot they brake with and why.

Macduc

I've not tracked an auto so I will leave that to others to answer.

Where did you do the track day? How did the car go?

Mika911

Great question. I don't left-foot brake myself but think this will become the technique to master instead of heel&toe. Even though I kart a lot somehow I don't have the force and feeling yet to left-foot brake in a car. I guess once you make that mental switch it will become second nature.

bronson7

I don't track, but when I broke my right leg 21 years ago and started driving after only 2 weeks, I had to use my left leg for both gas and brakes. Since then I only use my left leg for braking. I do it without even thinking.

MileHigh911

LFB can be advantageous, but you need to work at it. Without a 6 pt harness, I don't like it, as it is hard to modulate perfectly between R and L turns due to your body moving (normally the L leg helps brace your position in a sofa). It does allow for a smaller gap of throttle to brake transition when trail braking to the apex. It is not for everyone. In my old 09 C2S, the speeds were slower, and I know LFB improved my lap times. But in this car, the speeds have moved up, G forces higher, mistakes could be bigger. IMO, unless you have a race seat and 6 pt, I don't think you will control it enough to be faster.

alaint101

I track. Started LFB a few years back. Rough at first, of course, when you're used to a clutch... But got progressively better to the point where now it truly helps.

The biggest two benefits I see are transition speed and smoothness at the limit. The first one is obvious, I presume. The second one less so. Let me explain.

When you are at or near the limit, inputs need to be very smooth. Ok, you know that. What I find is that under these circumstances, it helps to blend the brake and throttle. Not a lot, but just enough to avoid spikes. It actually feels great, like a well executed blip on downshifts. And you feel the car transition smoothly.

I'd say only a small portion of the braking is done using this blending technique, perhaps 10-15%, but it really helps when you need to make difficult changes in speed or trajectory.

BTW, instructors appear to be split down the middle on this. I've had people recommend it highly and others say "you don't need this." I think it's mostly what they've grown up with.

I have two suggestions. First, if you're going to do this, practice, practice, practice. My favorite is parking. At low speeds, poor pressure management of the brakes on a car like the 3 or the RS makes it extremely apparent when it's not absolutely perfect. (Bumper-to-bumper traffic works equally well but is more frustrating...)

Second, if you still drive a MT, think twice about it. Every time I jump from a PDK to a MT, I need 10 minutes to re-teach my feet and their respective roles. So if you track both, give yourself time before an even to get into whatever mode you will be tracking. I've done some pretty ugly things that could have been disastrous hadn't I been on warm-up laps...

Waxer

^ this. Takes mucho practice. Counter intuitive but so a number of things on the track.

24Chromium

I always left foot brake when I drive an automatic transmission, and this car is no exception.

Recently, at the Porsche Sport Driving School, I was at the wheel of a PDK equipped car with an instructor right seat, and he quips "do you normally left foot brake?" He seemed so surprised.

maximus136

In my last driving school with David murry (davymurry.com) the consensus was that it won't help you shave 2 or 3 seconds of the fastest time for that you need to polish other techniques.....but if you'e of by 1/2 a sec or so.....that's probably where it is.....by doing this your helping the car's transmisión to engage sooner by just a tiny amount everytime by being able to accelerate and brake at the same time coming out of a curve.

In other words there is a lot to work on before you get to worry about this, it doesn't mean you should not practice it.......

my 2 cts

997s07

I left foot brake on manual transmission cars. But I learned that when I was 15. I was lucky enough to have people around who could teach me. I couldn't learn it now in my mid thirties. The 991 GT3s I've driven, I've left foot braked on the track. There's a beautiful smoothness that comes with brake to throttle transition on the corner apex or a late braking pass - it's worth learning it.

Nick

I have been left foot breaking for years. But I consider myself an average driver. FWIW, the great Schumacher left foot braked. Here is an article discussing left foot braking.

http://jalopnik.com/why-you-should-b...foot-434604934

malmasri

OP: As you may realize driving supremacy is in breaking not acceleration. Having said that I can tell you that it takes a long time to learn break modulation in the left foot. The best drivers in the world are the ones who surpass all in breaking, so think about the fraction of time that takes you moving your right foot from gas to break and back. With the left foot in action you can eliminate that wasted time and you would be much smoother exiting turns.
You should learn how to do that but realize that you need to do so on the street and over a very long period of time for that to become natural.

reuben991

Right foot braking is good enough for Kimi

TRAKCAR

Nice little clip I feel much less like an idiot now for not thinking about marks and or corners, left foot braking and just driving on feel.

Or as I explain to my student when they realize I don't know marks; "Scared = brake, not scared = throttle"

bronson7

Saw that last week just before the F1 race coverage.