Old Techniques for New Instructor
 

I am a newly minted PCA instructor looking for communication tips and tricks on how to convey driving concepts to students. Thinking back with different instructors in the right seat I can recall light bulb moments when they used an analogy or a different way of explaining a technique or how they wanted me to drive. Some I can recall were;

"Squeeze on the throttle like you are trying to get the water out of a sponge without splashing in your face".

"When I said kiss that curb, don't French kiss it. Kiss it like you are trying to kiss your grandmother".

"Don't look down over your hood, you are already there. Instead, look up to where you want the car to go and like magic, the car will drive itself".

"Maintenance throttle is something that happens in the service department. Get on it and stay on it like you mean it".

What can you recall - please share!

First tip - never say that again.

If you surprise the car, it will likely surprise you

Look where you want to go and .. well that where you are going.
My best one for DE: we are here to take care of each other. Your reward is go back home safely and drink beer with your friends t the end of the day.

When breaking do it in a straight line as much as possible, look deep thru upcoming turns, momentum & smoothness is your friend..

Substitute “upset” for “surprise” in both places and you’ve got my contribution.

Same difference :evilgrin:

No, not the same. I am a chump de guy. You are a pro coach. You win. Not the same.

Slow corner=fast hands

Fast corner=slow hands

All "as applicable..."

"Give him room" is one I use.

"Eyes up"

I like to leverage certain track features to provide repetitive emphasis on certain concepts (like turn 1 at Thunderhill for eyes up, turn 3 at Laguna Seca for trail braking).

Unwind the wheel.

Slow in, fast out.

Adjust.

Don't miss the apex by even an angstrom.

Get the braking done.

Easy....

Check your mirrors

Check your gauges...

Stay ahead of the car...

Rhythym

Wait a beat (turn 4 at Thunderhill)...

Now....

Wait...

When I give ride, they are not going to be able to hear me, so I tell them that I will occasionally do a thumbs up in the center dash area and if they are ok and not getting sick I need to see a thumbs up in return

I had to look up "angstrom".


ang·strom
/ˈaNGstrəm/ Learn to pronounce
noun

1. a unit of length equal to one hundred-millionth of a centimeter, 10−10 meter, used mainly by Mahler during DE driving instruction to describe very small distances.

https://ssl.gstatic.com/onebox/dicti...cba1610347.png

Definitions from Oxford Languages

:)

:roflmao:

Fantastic....

We have very few rules here.
Rule #1. Keep the instructor alive.
Rule #2. See rule #1.

“Speed is the reward for doing everything right”.

And, for newly minted instructors....”No good deed goes unpunished”.