Racing driver's stick shift tips for everyday driving 

Fiancee: "why are you watching that video?" Me: "I don't want to upset my car"

"it upsets the car" *car starts to cry*

Another benefit to manual driving is that it is active driving and makes it harder to get bored, distracted, and tired.

As a teen just learning to drive, this was one of the most helpful videos I’ve found. Now I won’t have to worry about ruining my dad’s clutch!

I thought the purpose for rough shifting was to see if you could get the passenger's forehead to bounce off the dashboard.

It really is an art to drive a manual perfectly. It feels so good to get it right

Just came across this. I'm in my 50s and have driven stick my entire life. Every car I owned was and is manual. You are a great teacher.

I recently swapped to a 2020 WRX 6MT as my daily driver. I've never really driven a manual before and this video was very helpful on easy ways to optimize my driving. Don't worry about the lack of peddle camera on this video, as you explained the clutch positions well enough to follow along. I liked that the ride was soft enough to be able to see your acceleration and deceleration from the window line contrasting the horizon. This video was like riding shotgun while your uncle teaches you to drive and I enjoyed it a lot.

I enjoy driving a manual. It keeps the driver engaged and less distracted when driving.

You know the manual has taken over your brain when you get in an automatic and your left foot goes on the brake thinking it’s the clutch 😂

Got my first car 2 years ago (manual of course) conveniently right after this video was posted. I had to teach myself how to drive it, and this video helped me so much. 2 years later and I still come back to this video sometimes, just as a refresher and to make sure I’m still applying the advice right. It’s also just kind of nostalgic to watch this again. Thinking back to when I was sitting in the car watching this, so eager to start driving it. Thank you, Casey. My grandfather would be proud to see me driving a manual.

I've been driving manual for 3 weeks now, and I'm getting a lot better all the time. Thanks for the tips, where I still struggle the most is downshifting smoothly.

"Automatics are boring so I end up speeding." XD same

6K Clutch drop, and let the syncros do work by shifting without the clutch and matching the revs... got it!

When I was teaching my youngest to drive a stick, she struggled with the gas/clutch balance. I had her use only the clutch to try and get the car gently rolling, then apply throttle. Once she could feel the engagement point of the clutch, the rest became much smoother. I have driven a stick forever, my goal was to be able to shift gears without my passengers knowing I was shifting. Focusing on smooth can help eliminate the herky-jerky movements. Thanks for the great video 👍

There's something oddly satisfying cruising around town in fourth gear, getting that perfect sequence of green lights along the way...

this is the most comfortable i've seen a person in a car

14:07 "I'm not actually rich." 14:37 "Frankly it's a sunny day. I could drive my Viper if I wanted to." *NEW RECORD* 0 to Rich in 30 seconds.

The one thing he forgot to mention with old clutches vs modern, is that they were usually full mechanical back then. Now you've got a hydraulic clutch but between all mechanical and dog boxes, it was more of a necessity to mash into the next gear. Hell the longer gear shift lever was an added bonus to give the driver better torque to the shift forks.

This is literally the most chill car guy I have ever seen. Why can't more be like this

Nice tutorial on driving a manual transmission. It’s funny that when the repairs come out of your own pocket, you become nice to your clutch & transmission.

"It upsets the car" I am at a car guy level, where i talk to my car, when driving alone. It's probably only me.

Rev matching is like when a relay runner starts running before receiving the hand off. That's basically what a rev match does, it lets the baton maintain the same movement during the transfer, whether to go slower or faster

My best tip to starting off in 1st is to use the same throttle ‘blip and release’ you would on downshift before beginning letting out on the clutch, you catch the revs coming back down and you will be able to ease on the throttle as the car starts to move it will be less likely to stall or buck. I learned to start off on an upward grade this way without rolling back and without using the hand brake. Once you get the timing you will look like a pro and will be a much smoother stick driver and your clutch will last longer too!

I went from driving automatics to briefly driving stick when I was 23. I absolutely love stick shifts due to the fact that it kept me engaged with what I was doing the entire time. I never had the fear of falling asleep while driving whilst driving manual transmissions. Hearing the revs was awesome too.

Idk personally I think it’s easier to get tickets in a manual. I always feel like the car wants me to drive it fast because of the instant hit of dopamine I get when ever I am shifting good. It’s just too satisfying, especially if they sound good.

Thank you for this video! I'm 24 and started driving manual this January after throwing myself headfirst into learning when my Automatic Impala died on me. I feel weird driving automatic cars anymore. You gave many great tips that I'm sure to incorporate into my driving style since I aim to get the most life out of my car vs driving them into disrepair.

manual drivers in america "iam god" manual drivers in europa "shrug"

I am german, a gear-stick is part of my arm.

Just purchased my 2016 WRX the other day, first time owning a manual. After driving it all day and then watching this video it really made things a lot more clearer for me and I appreciate it so much. Now I'm clean shifting with no prob ready for trips up the mountains :D Thanks Casey!

I find the key to driving my best... even when knowing the techniques... is wearing the right shoes. Makes a world of difference for me.

Hey, I'm 17, and this video was extremely useful and easy to understand for someone who is new to driving. I've been working and hopefully, I'm able to get my car by 18. I am extremely excited to get a stick shift vehicle and I will definitely be using this video for a learning reference. Greatly appreciated!

I love when there are no narcissistic introduction and just get straight to the point kinda video. Subscribed.

Great explanation on how to drive a stick well. This is definitely one of those topics that's super hard to accurately explain with words, and really just has to be learned hands-on with experience. And i think some people will just pick it up naturally, like it's instinct, while others will struggle to even learn the basics.

Just been on manual for about 7 months. Love it, this is a great pep talk!

The problem about the stick shift culture in the US is that there is almost none apart from racing, which means that people think they have to drive manuals like you drive on the racetrack or 70 years ago. In europe, everyone knows how to stick shift, but almost nobody uses double-clutching or heel-toe. As long as you are in a reasonable rpm-range, the clutch doesn't have to work that hard and synchros are there for a reason. That doesn't mean that you can't drive like he did in the video - acutally, it's the best way. But it's just unnecessary nowadays. If you're getting into driving manual, just be gentle to the clutch and do'nt stall it and it will last you a very, very long time.

I was driving automatic for 7 years and I finally tried a manual and man the experience is something else. I always thought automatic is the best, it's good, but boy was I missing out on actually driving a car. It's an experience each day you learn to be better and that's amazing than just break and accelerator honestly

Thank you for a well-done, informative, and very accurate instructional video about driving a manual transmission car. As one who grew up on a farm, with tractors, trucks, and various mechanical machinery, my father was adamant about keeping your foot "away from the clutch, until you're ready to press it." [Don't be riding the clutch with your foot, EVEN if you intend to depress it in the next several seconds.] He was also quite "instructional" about having mercy on the equipment (you can't imagine what my brother and I -- as 12-year-olds -- could do with lawn tractors at full throttle). Your comments about preserving the synchros and rev-matching are spot on. As a former semi trucker driver, I learned early on how to match gears/revs at speeds, because there are no synchros in those gearboxes. "Find them or grind them" was the mantra then (and my father's admonition about having mercy on the equipment prevailed) - I learned how to match gears smoothly. There was a period of clutch/vs. no clutch (common for truck drivers), but after stripping the synchros out of my '79 Trans Am trying "clutch-less shifting" [hey, don't judge me, at the time I was maybe 28], I'm a resolute believer in using the clutch for all shifts. You can "float the gears" if you want, but the clutch is designed to absorb the shock of any mismatch. The synchros are not. Do as you please. You can treat a car as a piece of machinery (like a horse), and flog it to death to perform as you want... or you can enjoy the performance, beauty, and elegance of a finely engineered conveyance which has evolve in the past 100+ years. Love the car. If you do anything which is causing jerking/hardness/difficulty shifting, you might want to examine your shifting technique. But understand exactly what happens when you depress the clutch and change gears is EXTREMELY important in driving smoothly and preserving equipment.

Love the way this guy explains things. He doesn't use that over explanation-ey tone most use without even realizing it that makes you feel like a child. Could genuinely listen to him explain things to me all day without getting bored.

Coming from the UK where manual transmission accounts for 99% of all cars, seeing videos like this is wierd.

That feeling of lightly pulling the shifter out of third, right as the synchros unload, is magic. If you get it right, it feels like the shifter is magnetically attracted to your palm. The best feeling.

I've drove a friend's manual car across town once & it was one of the best experiences I've had. I've had 2 cars but both were autos it's hard to find manuals in my city. But my next car will be manual for certain! This is the first time I've ever seen one of your video's, you've uplifted & inspired me even more to get a manual car!! & You now have a new subscriber. Thanks for the education!

Love it mate! I saw this and thought do I need to watch it? I’m 51 years old been driving since I was 12/13 tractors,trucks, new/old cars etc! My father used to drive trucks and told me growing up that you only need the clutch to get moving otherwise if you rev match correctly you can shift without a clutch up or down. So here I am now driving a 1989 navara d21 (hardbody in the U.S) with 360,000 +kilometres on it replaced the clutch 18 months ago. Not that I never use the clutch , I do but also drive without it,changing up and down. I found your video helpful to keep me in check but also confirm I am on the right track.Thanks and all the best for the new year in 24 👌. From Aus 🇦🇺

I did the same thing to my son that my dad did to me... "Your first car is on me, it's a stick"

Interesting point on the "tempo". However for cars which have very light flywheels (e.g., e92 m3), when you disengage the clutch, the rev drops like a stone in the air and if you are too slow in shifting and re-engaging the clutch, the car will shiver. This is why I find it so difficult to drive it smoothly in city traffic. But it's perfect for spirited driving on B-roads.

Such a good video, raw tips, no edit and stuff, the most enjoyable 20ish minute video

takes finesse to be able to adjust like you do, from hardcore motorsport to backroad touring chill. Thanks for keeping it real.

7:00 “I do not want to get behind that guy.” LOL This is me very often.

"it's easier to not be speeding in a stick shift car" That's so true, lol! Everyone knows these streets and construction sites where the speed limit is 30km/h, but the road just invites you to go faster. When I see a 30 sign, I intuitively shift down to 3rd and when I'm not paying attention to my speed and end up going 40km/h, I often just notice that because my engine is louder than it would be at 30 and then I think to myself: "Well, if I'll be going to fast, I should at least do it in the proper gear!", since if I'd intentionally drive along at 40, 4th gear would be the right gear for my car. Or, ofc I simply slow down.

I've been driving manual for a year now, and I'm getting a lot much better all the time. Thanks for the video, double cluth smoothly.

this is literally the first video where i actually fully understand the concepts that youre talking about because you explained them so well.

I'm 35 years old and have been "jamming it around like an idiot" all of my driving life. ;( Thank you for this video.

Another being-nice-to-the-driveline tip: The rpm gap, or mismatch, between gears is wider at higher engine rpm's so allow a bit more time for synchros to work when single-clutch shifting around the top of the rev range, especially downshifting which is inherently harder on synchros. And when toe-heel downshifting for a corner, waiting until the last practical moment to downshift will allow revs to drop as vehicle speed drops which effectively reduces that gap and is kinder to synchros. All of this is nullified when double-clutching the shifts of course.

Great video when I started learning a couple years ago...good refresher today.

I found this video a little bit after getting my Accord V6, a while ago, and it completely changed the way I drive. I was already able to heel-toe, but this video gave me to the confidence to do it through every gear all the time. I've even learned to left foot brake since. I even think rev matching into first is good. I think a good rev match into first would wear the clutch less than the alternative. It's also useful when it's icy on the road. My first car was hard to heel toe in, but my 8th gen Accord 6-6 has perfect spacing. I'm always double clutch heel toe downshifting all the time, and throwing in smooth left foot braking to right foot braking transitions. Driving is so fun. Had a few people compliment my shifting, and one even said it felt like an automatic. That felt good. Thanks for the video

Watching this after I blew the transmission in my golf

I've been driving a manual since I was a kid and my jeep is a manual. I still watch videos like yours to make sure I'm not doing it wrong again lol Good video! I like the metronome analogy.

Wonderful video. Sound advice. Spot on story examples and explanation supporting the advice and tips. When I crack myself up: So the setup is, I've driven nothing but my stick shift for a while. I get into an automatic (wife's or the family hauler), and pull out. I'll get to about 15 mph, let off the gas, and a thump is heard, as I stomp the floor, because a clutch pedal is absent. After my chuckle, I pull back my foot, reapply the throttle, and keep going. Conditioning, habit, or whatever you want to call it, I find it amusing in the moment.

One of the best things I’ve noticed about manual transmission, which you mention near the end, is that it keeps you on your toes. I never get drowsy driving stick. Because you always have to be engaged, unless you’re cruising at 70 on the interstate.

I tried driving manual first time today. I got frustrated at myself because I simply couldn’t get the car to move at all. When I did get it I got scared because I had to shift into 2nd and then it stalled. It truly is a learning curve but practice makes perfect

Casey I really like how you are passing on knowledge too the younger generation...

Granny shifting, not double clutching like you should

I've been driving manuals for 6 years now as a daily driver, I dont like automatics and i try not to drive one as much as possible, i am THAT guy. I still have trouble and this honestly is giving me another look into how I interact with my clutch and transmission. Thanks for the insight dude! Subscribed and cant wait to see more content.

Never seen this channel before but judging by the intros, I get the feeling this gentlemen is well versed in the world of mechanics

When you shift back to auto and press in the foot parking brake at 50miles/hour+

I learned how to revmatch about a year after getting my license, when driving to college and back. It's super satisfying when you get it right, and makes driving way comfier in a manual.

Great video! You were so right about the old days. I remember back in the late 60's driving my Pontiac with the Muncie Rock Crusher transmission. Those were the days!

great video. been driving manuals for a few years and i still learned some valuable things from this video

I feel like "blip it and rip it" should probably be on a t-shirt....incorrect technique or not, lol. Seriously though, I think many a "money shift" can be attributed to a death grip on the stick and trying to 'Vin Diesel' through the gears. With a lighter touch you can use the springy auto-centering of the stick (in most cars) as a sort of logic gate for where you are in the pattern before committing to a shift even if you're trying to move quickly as you might on a track.

It's a lot harder to be distracted by a cell phone or whatever if you're driving a stick. Personally I absolutely love a manual transmission!

love the vibes and energy 💯💯💯keep up the content

Man... this video sure made me miss all of my previous manual transmission cars. Thanks!

The way he makes those comfortable hand gestures while driving and shifting gears like he is sitting in a couch in his living room convinced me that he is really a race car driver. P.S. I am learning driving.

When you said you can shift a dog box without using the clutch, you can also do that in a synchro transmission. I had a 1985 Cougar XR-7 with a 2.3T and 5 Speed. It broke the clutch cable one day while I was driving it, and I remembered being told when I was a kid about how to shift without the clutch. It's essentially the same as double clutching, just without the clutch. As you're changing gears, up or down, you let off the gas and as soon as you do pull the car into neutral. It'll slide smoothly out of gear. Then rev match for the next gear you want (up or down) and the car will slide right into gear as it's all synced up. No grinds, no issues.

Very knowledgeable and I thoroughly enjoyed your talk.

Just bought my first GTI and I'm watching your videos to be a better driver. thanks man.

I'm glad you mention the hand break, it's a blessing when you are learning to take off up a hill. I still use it every day, I even use it on stop and go traffic to make my drive easier for my right foot. Also you mention the fact that you get to know more or less the speed that you will get at any given gear so you can hold a gear to keep a certain speed (and never go over the speed limit). Man, this is the best manual shift tutorial I've seen (90% of cars are manual in my country btw)

* me, daily driving a 1998 Fiat Multipla 1.6L: hmm, yes. higher rpm

This guy is so good, i love to watch this stuff

Great video. If I'm teaching someone to drive standard/manual, I always try to teach them to visualize what they are doing....in engaging the clutch with the flywheel....the transmission to the engine. I think it helps in a massive way....especially when choosing gears when wanting to speed up quickly...or when slowing down quickly...and then needing to accelerate again. Gotta always be thinking....sound, speed...and so on.

As a former truck driver I learned early on to "float the gears." When you drive that much you just learn the RPMs it becomes second nature and you can tell just by listening and feeling you know exactly when to shift without having to CONSTANTLY use the clutch, especially when you're dealing with 10 gears. Gears don't grind and the transitions were always smooth. Never had an issue, even though that's not how you're "supposed to" shift.

(points to shifter) "This makes it fun and enjoyable." #Truth

The best explanation video I have seen, I like your premise; "be nice to the transmission".

Awesome tips and reminders! Been driving a stick for years. Love it, never gets old.

One more tip that I'm learning the hard way is... I used to sit at stop lights with my foot on the clutch and my car in gear. Im a tall guy so it was just easier to leave my foot on the clutch for the whole light. Plus it has the advantage of only needing to step on the gas and take my foot off the clutch for a quick take off if i needed. However now when i push the clutch in it makes a vibrating or sort of a grinding sound. Only now i learned from other vids that having the clutch engaged for extended periods of time with the engine running is a way to get premature wear. Now I'm not doing that unless i need to... just trying to milk the life of the clutch till i have to replace it.

Videos like this are why I love watching Casey talk about cars. I taught myself to drive manual in a rotary, Casey is hell of a good teacher. Starts with very basic of a manual and starting to get moving. Then actually gets into the detail of different revs for different engines (which no one ever seems to tell you). Compared to other people on youtube the amount of minutiae he gives in a very understandable is amazing or hes just great at editing..... still not sure which.

Honestly, this is the best description of the method.

Needed this advis! Thanks !!!

Casey, great job dumbing down the finer points of driving a manual transmission car. "How not to suck!". Perfect. Thanks.

Hahaha!! The Intro of this was fantastic. I learned the ways of the stick on a Nissan Datsun 510 at 16 from my dad who yelled at me when the first gear wouldn’t go in. He is a superb driver. Thankfully, got the hang of it and no more screaming ensued!

Great video for a basic topic! Wish I had seen this 42 years ago when I taught myself how to drive with a stick shift. Subscribed.

The pace of your shift and fast out and slow into gear is perfect.

14:51 THIS! When I drive my manual, I can *feel* the speed based on the gear/rpm, When I drive my wife's CVT, I'm constantly finding myself speeding, because the RPM doesn't change between cruising and light acceleration, so I think I've been maintaining a constant speed, while I've actually been accelerating.

I remember in high school I taught myself to clutchless shift, I'm so lucky my car didn't blow the transmission but now it's my "party trick" lol Thank you as always for the awesome content!

That random comment at the begginning was the laugh i needed this morning. Thanks

A small comment from a European guy. It applies to modern small engines cars. Relaxed drive away rpm is between 1700 and 2200 rpm. When you don't know which gear your stick is going to engage. Let go off it. Then it should settle in front off third and fourth gear. Always downshift in front of a corner. So your are in the correct gear during and right after the corner. I prefer to almost always downshift first then break. It's makes the breaking a lot smoother. (But it could just be my thing) I have never ever double clutched in the 30+ years driving manuals. But be my guest if you want to exercise your left leg a little.

Excellent tutorial. I've driven manuals all of my driving life and self- taught most of what he's talking about. It takes years to perfect, but a short time to learn.

My first daily driver is a manual, absolutely love driving it. First week or so was really rough and it hurt me a lot hearing myself mess up trying to get going. Upshifting was easy enough so I got that down quick and I was already practicing rev-matching on down shifts it was just getting started from a dead stop and controlling speed in reverse that I was having issues with. I pretty much got it down now, I haven't practiced heel-toe shifting yet but I'm gonna try practicing that as much as I can as I get more comfortable. Sometimes I'll have to drive my parent's automatic 'cus my car would have something wrong with it (my car's an '01 with 200k miles but she still got some life) and it damn near puts me to sleep on the interstate so I really don't like driving automatics.

Just got an '07 volvo s40 2.4i inline 5. Never drove stick before (but motorcycles for years) and leaning the basics and the nuances. Agree with so much of the content here-- so much more engaging and challenging, and hence more enjoyable. Also def find myself NOT speeding at all really, being more cautious, etc.

Loved this video. Getting back in to a manual after ~26 yrs of NOT driving one consistently. Your explanations are clear and concise; none of this boy racer hoopla that are on so many youtube channels lately. Tough bit for me is I don't yet have a car to practice on. Should just go out and grab one...and go :) Thank you again though!