Updates from Lukas Murdock

Learn Manual

April 21, 2025

The following is the series of drills I run people through to teach them how to drive a 5-speed manual transmission car.

Get familiar with the gearbox and clutch (car off)

Off of these are with the car off. These drills are intended to get people familiar with the un-familiar parts of manual cars in a low-stress way by pressing in the clutch and changing gears while the car is off — no movement, no consequences, just play.

Move the gear shifter all the way side to side (neutral range) to feel the spring return to center.

Hold the clutch in, cycle through gears 1-2-3-4-5. Repeat.

Practice:

  1. Press clutch
  2. Shift to first
  3. Come of clutch
  4. Repeat for each gear (2nd, 3rd, etc.)

Understand RPM Control (Car On, In Neutral)

Most people are not used to looking at the tachometer (RPM) and are not used to being aware of RPMs. These drills are intended to 1) familiarize people with the tachometer, 2) how the gas pedal affects RPMs, and 3) used to bringing RPMs up when they drop.

RPM play:

  1. Practice holding the RPM at 2000
  2. Let off gas, let RPMs drop, then bring it back to 2000
  3. Play with the RPMs jump between 2000–3000 RPM in different rhythms (2-3, 3-4, 2-4). Practice picking up dropped RPMs

Feel out clutch biting point

In 1st gear, with foot off the gas:

  1. Rev to 2000
  2. Slowly release the clutch until you feel the bite (the car starts to want to move)
  3. Press the clutch back in
  4. Repeat until you can feel the exact moment the clutch engages

Time to drive: Put it together again and again

First gear

  1. Clutch in
  2. First gear
  3. Rev to ~2000
  4. Slowly come off the clutch
  5. Fully release clutch and drive around in 1st
  6. Repeat this over and over until it’s smooth

First to second

Rev to 3000, clutch in, off gas, shift up, slowly come off clutch.

Second to third

Rev to 3000, clutch in, off gas, shift up, slowly come off clutch.

Stall

If they haven’t stalled yet, explain to them that it will happen and we’re going to run through how it might: “forgetting the car is in gear and coming off the clutch.” Have them start the car with it in first gear and then come off the clutch fast as if they thought it was in neutral.

Drill:

Hill start

Find a slope to do hill starts on, practice not rolling back. Use clutch + gas balance.

Slow traffic driving

Focus on:

Others

Clutch feather

Purpose: Build fine control for parking lots, traffic, and low-speed maneuvers.

Drill:

Launch

Purpose: Build confidence launching under light time pressure (e.g., green lights)

Drill:

Downshifting Practice

Purpose: Build confidence in slowing down using gears, not just brakes

Drill:

Heel-toe

Heel-toe downshifting is used to smoothly match engine RPM to wheel speed when you downshift while braking. You use your right foot to press both the brake and the gas pedal at the same time, while your left foot operates the clutch. It takes a bit to learn.

Let’s say you’re going from 3rd gear to 2nd while slowing down:

  1. Right foot on the brake, begin braking.
  2. Clutch in with left foot.
  3. While still braking, “blip” the throttle with the right foot (by rolling the side or heel of your foot onto the gas pedal).
  4. Shift to 2nd gear.
  5. Clutch out — engine RPM should now match the wheels, resulting in a smooth transition.

Skip-Shift

Purpose: Teach flexibility in real-world shifting

Drill:

Engine Braking Awareness

Purpose: Understand how letting off the gas can help slow the car in gear

Drill:

Learn Manual

April 21, 2025

The following is the series of drills I run people through to teach them how to drive a 5-speed manual transmission car.

Get familiar with the gearbox and clutch (car off)

Off of these are with the car off. These drills are intended to get people familiar with the un-familiar parts of manual cars in a low-stress way by pressing in the clutch and changing gears while the car is off — no movement, no consequences, just play.

Move the gear shifter all the way side to side (neutral range) to feel the spring return to center.

Hold the clutch in, cycle through gears 1-2-3-4-5. Repeat.

Practice:

  1. Press clutch
  2. Shift to first
  3. Come of clutch
  4. Repeat for each gear (2nd, 3rd, etc.)

Understand RPM Control (Car On, In Neutral)

Most people are not used to looking at the tachometer (RPM) and are not used to being aware of RPMs. These drills are intended to 1) familiarize people with the tachometer, 2) how the gas pedal affects RPMs, and 3) used to bringing RPMs up when they drop.

RPM play:

  1. Practice holding the RPM at 2000
  2. Let off gas, let RPMs drop, then bring it back to 2000
  3. Play with the RPMs jump between 2000–3000 RPM in different rhythms (2-3, 3-4, 2-4). Practice picking up dropped RPMs

Feel out clutch biting point

In 1st gear, with foot off the gas:

  1. Rev to 2000
  2. Slowly release the clutch until you feel the bite (the car starts to want to move)
  3. Press the clutch back in
  4. Repeat until you can feel the exact moment the clutch engages

Time to drive: Put it together again and again

First gear

  1. Clutch in
  2. First gear
  3. Rev to ~2000
  4. Slowly come off the clutch
  5. Fully release clutch and drive around in 1st
  6. Repeat this over and over until it’s smooth

First to second

Rev to 3000, clutch in, off gas, shift up, slowly come off clutch.

Second to third

Rev to 3000, clutch in, off gas, shift up, slowly come off clutch.

Stall

If they haven’t stalled yet, explain to them that it will happen and we’re going to run through how it might: “forgetting the car is in gear and coming off the clutch.” Have them start the car with it in first gear and then come off the clutch fast as if they thought it was in neutral.

Drill:

Hill start

Find a slope to do hill starts on, practice not rolling back. Use clutch + gas balance.

Slow traffic driving

Focus on:

Others

Clutch feather

Purpose: Build fine control for parking lots, traffic, and low-speed maneuvers.

Drill:

Launch

Purpose: Build confidence launching under light time pressure (e.g., green lights)

Drill:

Downshifting Practice

Purpose: Build confidence in slowing down using gears, not just brakes

Drill:

Heel-toe

Heel-toe downshifting is used to smoothly match engine RPM to wheel speed when you downshift while braking. You use your right foot to press both the brake and the gas pedal at the same time, while your left foot operates the clutch. It takes a bit to learn.

Let’s say you’re going from 3rd gear to 2nd while slowing down:

  1. Right foot on the brake, begin braking.
  2. Clutch in with left foot.
  3. While still braking, “blip” the throttle with the right foot (by rolling the side or heel of your foot onto the gas pedal).
  4. Shift to 2nd gear.
  5. Clutch out — engine RPM should now match the wheels, resulting in a smooth transition.

Skip-Shift

Purpose: Teach flexibility in real-world shifting

Drill:

Engine Braking Awareness

Purpose: Understand how letting off the gas can help slow the car in gear

Drill: