sig_a

[QUOTE=Veloce Raptor;6571674]Oh yeah...I definitely have a hand signal for some students.


That's sorta quid pro quo from the student point of view as well.

And why can't you cheap-*** instructors spring for intercom systems that cost more than $12.95?

mglobe

Somewhere I've got some video of that...

fjpdds

I have seen this one.
(You knew it was coming).

Veloce Raptor

Biatch PLEASE.

I use a Chatterbox, which is way north of $12.95, and they still suck.







Professional Racing and Driving Coach

993inNC

[QUOTE=sig_a;6571877]Ever try using one in a 20 knot cross wind with the windows down?


I have a host of signals:

Brake - clinched fist
Brake hard - shaking clinched fist (the harder i shake the harder they better be braking!)
move left/right - hand (palm side) pushing left or right
go deeper (into a corner) - 2 fingers pointing in a wave motion forward until the brake point, then fist
back off the car in front - palm of hand up with fingers waving in the "come here" motion

If a student can get around a track with those........pull into pits and get out

Ritter v4.0

Two hands pressed hard on the dash means BRAKE HARD 20' AGO!!

Veloce Raptor

Two hands pressed together means DEAR LORD, PLEASE LET ME LIVE THROUGH THIS!!!







Professional Racing and Driving Coach

DarkSideDE

and I forgot - what did two hands over the eyes mean again?

Circuit Motorsports

Don't forget the oft forgotten thumbs up when the student does something right.

Z-man

In my opinion, if your hand gestures need detailed explanation, they are probably too complicated. At 100mph approaching the braking zone, I don't want my student to be wondering, "Is his finger going counter-clockwise, or clockwise -- should I be slowing down, or speeding up?"

Thus, for me, slowing down involves moving my hand away from the dash, and toward the rear of the car, coupled with verbal instruction. For braking, a fist works well - again, coupled with verbal instruction. To accelerate more - "let's go" plus a finger pointing forward. To show direction, I'll extend my hand forward (like I'm going to shake your hand), and point my fingers in the direction the student needs to go.

I like the finger pointing to the mirror sign. What I'll do as well as that is make a mini 'point-by over the roof' gesture to let the student know he needs to do the same thing.

If the students hand is resting on the gear shift ****, I will gently tap the top of his hand and point to the steering wheel.

If the student is doing will, then lots of 'thumbs up' signs. Positive feedback is very effective.

-Z-man.

Larry Herman

Every instructor should be able to yell "brake" at 120 decibels.




In all seriousness though, nothing beats the immediacy of a well functioning communicator (Chatterbox, Nady, etc). There are many things that hand signals just cannot convey, and a well placed word or two at the moment is far superior to minutes of de-briefing in the pits afterwards.

Veloce Raptor

+1. I give a lot of those.







Professional Racing and Driving Coach

993inNC

I thought you were trying to keep your driving style kept a secret



As for the thumbs up thing, I usually clap when something is done right. Thumbs up looks to much like a signal.

dan212

One simple signal really means a lot to students:

A firm "Thumbs Up" for something done right..

James-man

[QUOTE=993inNC;6572474]Palm mimicking the throttle pedal. Progressive movement shows controlled throttle application all the way to full power. Full throttle is Palm on the dash. Palm lightly pounding dash means DONT CHICKEN OUT ON THIS ONE. GO GO GO GO! Palm violently pounding on dash means they don't pay me enough to endure this.

Brake. Clenched fist. Progressive toward dash to show progressive application. Fist on the dash means BRAKE DAMMIT BRAKE. PUSH THE PEDAL THROUGH THE FLOOR! Fist violently pounding on dash means they don't pay me enough to endure this.

Brake tap is a quick little fist point.

Two pointed fingers sweeping upwards = eyes up.

Karatechop hand directs the turn in point. Sideways karate palm then sweeps left or right to direct the speed of the steering input. Sometimes we need to slow it down, sometimes speed it up. I often do a parallel karate chop hands. Hands move revealing the hypothetical direction of the front wheels, not that anyone is looking or anything.

Outstretched arm pointing = sight your apex.

Some corners favor one hand gesture over another.

I hold an imaginary wheel along with verbal instruction to get people to set and HOLD the wheel through the turn with out winding, unwinding, rewinding, reunwinding. Then demonstrate tiny incremental unwinds as throttle permits. I think people rarely see this, even with peripheral vision as there is too much going on and too much to look at outside the car during a turn.

Single hand directing choir with a sweeping motion. Trying to elicit smoothness in left right combinations.

When combining with verbal queues, I think the most useful and effective hand signals are for braking and choir directing. If the student trusts me, it would be assuring when see my fist is not yet on the dash.

I will use the throttle hand if a student hasn't figured out "smooth application" yet.

I had one guy that would get lost on the track on his own (forgetting where he was and what came next) but he responded very very well to verbal cues. I almost lost my voice talking him around the track all day, but he and I had a marvelous time with it. I didn't use hand signals at all in the afternoon and don't think that they would have helped.

It is interesting to see the variation in hand signals used.