Clutch Kick

[drift matic]

i was just watching one of my option vids and i was wondering how the do a clutch kick it doesent even look like they take there right foot off the gas it looks like they just press the clutch in and realese it.

[MarshallMX5]

Yep. The engine revs while you kick in the clutch and when you let the clutch back out it jerks the wheels into losing traction.

[Pennyman]

Be aware that this method can not only break traction, but also stress and potentially destroy drivetrain parts if excessively done on dry pavement.

[SilviaLove]

I wouldn't suggest this type of technique unless you are in a low traction condition such as rain or snow. If you try using this often you will damage your transmission/drivetrain, as the previous posted has stated.

[AlexPfeiffer]

You use clutch kick mainly for the initiation of a drift. Doesnt matter if its dry or wet. If your drive train breaks then you have a weak car.

Its just bad information to say not to do it because every pro uses it.

[fsr]

Hmmm... I almost never use it to initiate a drift unless I'm accelerating. Upon corner entry I'd rather brake drift or use the e-brake/shift-lock. The only time I really use clutch kick is in long 3rd gear corners where the revs drop too much and I need to kick the clutch the rev it back up.

However, I do use the clutch a lot, just not always while keeping the accelerator floored. And to be honest, I think a lot of people focus too much on the techniques that have a name, wheras in reality you don't really think about this when driving. I just use whatever technique, or combinations of thechniques that are suitable in a given situation...

[AlexPfeiffer]

In the comps you are always accelerating into the corner. Maybe its different on your side of the world. Its also looked down on to use an e brake to start your drift, this is also why you initiate with a clutch kick first then switch over to your brakes or ebrake.

[fsr]

Well, I guess you're right about not really using e-brake to initiate. But I, and the japanese guys as well, usually apply the e-brake pretty early, allthough perhaps using a bit of faint to throw the car out of balance upon entry. When Nomura judged the event in Birmingham, UK, he always awarded higher points for a fast entry with e-brake/brake drift than a huge faint on the straight before the first corner. He's argument was that using big faint drifts is too easy, and throwing the car straight into the corner at high speed while balancing on the brakes/e-brake was harder...

On his demo runs with a borrowed Skyline he demonstrated it by sliding down half the straight on the e-brake before entering the corner. Then again, maybe Formula D is judged a bit different than D1? It seems as though they usually like the huge powerslides of Sam in the Viper, allthough he's quite slow around the corners. As you probably know from the D1 in Irwindale (where you attended if I remember correctly), the Japanese guys focus a lot more on speed and racing line.

But I'm getting off topic here. The question about how to do clutch kick has been answered a long time ago. Sorry

[Ghost of Duluth]

I'm not much of a clutch kicker, my foot is usually hurt from car kicking my FD.

[SilviaLove]

It's true, clutch kick all you want and if your car is weak it will have some problems. It is a good technique but I do not try to use it often, mainly because I can not afford to have my daily driver down for unnecessary repairs, aside from the normal wear and tear expected from driving and drifting. I am trying to keep my car in good working condition and save money for upgrades not repairs. I know there will be a need for repairs, it is inevitable, but I am trying to keep that to a bare minimum..maybe it is wishful thinking, but it is a plan.

[tonesdef86]

i always clutch kick. Its the only way i can i have a hachi with stock power. I can't power over the only driver train i went through is a clutch thats all. I don't know what you would break maybe your trans but i don't see how. Every driver is differnt a lot of the bigger guys use there e brake UEO uses it once in awhile but like alex said us americans look down on it.

[malcolm]

do yourselves a favour. try to learn to drift without clutch-kicking as well. Sure, pros may use it, but it's not the only way to drift. You should be able to come into a corner, and without even touching the clutch or handbrake, initiate a drift with ANY car. It's called weight transfer and braking. Master this, and then adapt the clutch-kick to it to make your drifts bigger and better. If you just rely on clutch kicking, you'll never be able to get massive drift angles without letting the revs drop to idle before engaging the clutch again.

Don't think I don't know what an underpowered car is like. I can drift my AW11 MR2, which has the SAME engine as you (stock 4AGE), and it's harder to initiate a drift with the AW11 than the AE86, because of the higher weight distribution to the rear in the AW11 (of course, once I am drifting, the weight distribution is in my favour, provided I can keep the wheels spinning). Also, I've drifted my slick-shod vette, and that was just with a slight feint and a slight trail-brake. It had nothing to do with power until I was already sideways, and accelerating through the corner.

[Slonie]

Originally posted by malcolm
If you just rely on clutch kicking, you'll never be able to get massive drift angles without letting the revs drop to idle before engaging the clutch again.

I agree with your point that people should be adept at various techniques, but what the heck are you talking about here? I mean seriously. Dropping to idle? My foot is never off the gas during a clutch kick.

[malcolm]

well, I guess there are two ways to do a clutch kick:

One: keep your foot on the throttle. The surge of acceleration will break the rear loose, and you can slide through the corner.

Two: keep your foot OFF the throttle. The sudden engagement of the clutch when the engine is just a little too slow will also break the rear loose, and you can slide through the corner. This version is just like a slightly softer version of a shift-lock, but just a sudden kick of the clutch while off the throttle instead of doing a downshift as well.

With my MR2, unless I am doing it wrong, the first version doesn't help me, and I just understeer into the corner. Also, I would be accelerating into the corner, therefore my entry speed would need to be slower to allow for the surge of acceleration. With an off-throttle clutch kick, it helps me slow down, so I can go in faster.

Try both, and see what works for you and your car.

[grift]

I clutch kick all the time. Dry wet, whatever the conditions . My car never breaks it is my preffered method. The E-brake is hard to use for me. I have stock s13 seats-that need to be upgraded badly-any way I am so tall . that and the stock seats make it very akward as I sit so high it is kinda hard for me to use the E-brake. Power over and weight transfer work good too. I just kick it when I am accelerating into a corner. The worst is maybe your clutch will wear out-oh well. Drifitng = alot of money. Fun= money sounds like they have something in common. Do the clutch kick youll be fine. If not upgrade your parts

[tonesdef86]

Originally posted by malcolm
well, I guess there are two ways to do a clutch kick:

One: keep your foot on the throttle. The surge of acceleration will break the rear loose, and you can slide through the corner.

Two: keep your foot OFF the throttle. The sudden engagement of the clutch when the engine is just a little too slow will also break the rear loose, and you can slide through the corner. This version is just like a slightly softer version of a shift-lock, but just a sudden kick of the clutch while off the throttle instead of doing a downshift as well.

With my MR2, unless I am doing it wrong, the first version doesn't help me, and I just understeer into the corner. Also, I would be accelerating into the corner, therefore my entry speed would need to be slower to allow for the surge of acceleration. With an off-throttle clutch kick, it helps me slow down, so I can go in faster.

i take it your a newb to drifting in general. You will get ten times the angle with a clutch kick than you ever will with a simple weight transfer. Add feinte and clutch kick togther and than your have damn good angle. Your talking out of your *Censored**Censored**Censored* and you also power over to much. Theres only one way to clutch kick that is full throtle and kick the clutch what the other one you are talking about makes no sense unless your doing a nice 3rd or 4th gear pull.
And i hope you know a shift lock is even worse for you car even more so how you do it. You let off the throtle and let the revs drop than let go this way your engine goes from 2k to 7k in a second which is not good and a very bad way of drifting as it totaly unsettles your car and usaly is a pain to keep a line with.


every one drifts differnt not one way is wrong but there all differnt saying its wrong is just stupid and ignorant.
Try both, and see what works for you and your car.

[Craftsman]

I personally like weight transfer techniques to initate drifts better. Clutch kick is like cheating in a way. Learn all the different type of techniques of drifting. Like heel-toe downshifting, feint, etc... There are tons of techniques to be mastered.

BTW, from what I've read so far. D1 judges love drivers wide open throttle through every drift... Which would require some sort of harsh drift initiation like Clutch kicks...

Matt.

[grift]

Originally posted by Craftsman
I personally like weight transfer techniques to initate drifts better. Clutch kick is like cheating in a way. Learn all the different type of techniques of drifting. Like heel-toe downshifting, feint, etc... There are tons of techniques to be mastered.

BTW, from what I've read so far. D1 judges love drivers wide open throttle through every drift... Which would require some sort of harsh drift initiation like Clutch kicks...

Matt.

I don't think it is cheating. All the methods and the Fancy names have a time a place to use them. i just use what is best at the time. But cluctch kick is my favorite especially if the car is understeering for some reason this obviously can end up not so pretty if you do not know what you are doing

[tonesdef86]

ok any one that says somthing is cheating when drifting is a total moron. The name of the game is side ways and any way possiable. So basicaly craftsman from what i read about you is that you don't like clutch kick or the e brake so you like power over a lot. Which is one of the most un skilled ways of doing it.

And heal toe shifting has nothing with getting the car side ways just a good way to shift and not un settle the car.

and you have to mix and match you can feinte power over feinte clutch kick or just feinte which from my experince has a lot of under steer and needs a lot of high speed. You can even feinte clutch kick and ebrake.

pay attention not one method will help you out but all. I feinte clutch kick most of the time kinda hard to power over in a 90 whp car.

[CrazyHawaiian]

I only use power over and feint when I drift my green car. I would have to disagree that power over is the most unskilled way to initiate a drift. You need a certain ammount of confidence to do a successfull power over initiate. Considering that you are gaining speed entering the turn, the possibility of something going wrong is greater than something like using the handbrake, where you lose a bit of speed. And you will learn alot about weight transfer when you experiment with power over. The most unskilled way of initiating is using the handbrake, plain and simple. Nobody gives respect to guys that initiate with the handbrake all the time because its really easy (hence a good way to learn how to drift).

[fsr]

Originally posted by CrazyHawaiian
I only use power over and feint when I drift my green car. I would have to disagree that power over is the most unskilled way to initiate a drift. You need a certain ammount of confidence to do a successfull power over initiate. Considering that you are gaining speed entering the turn, the possibility of something going wrong is greater than something like using the handbrake, where you lose a bit of speed. And you will learn alot about weight transfer when you experiment with power over. The most unskilled way of initiating is using the handbrake, plain and simple. Nobody gives respect to guys that initiate with the handbrake all the time because its really easy (hence a good way to learn how to drift).

I would just like to point out that there's a bit of misunderstanding regarding the handbrake drift. I agree that it can be a simple way, but basically it's not about the technique but how you use it. There's a difference between going slowly into the corner and pull the handbrake and using it to adjust brakebalance like the pro's.

Not sure about you US guys, but from my own experience as well as watching the D1 guys, it's not just pulling the handbrake and go sideways. I enter a corner at maximum racing speed, then brake a little too late to be able to stay on the brakes while turning into the corner. Once I have the weight on the front wheels I use the handbrake to adjust braking power to the rear wheels. Sometimes locking them completely, sometimes hardly applying pressure at all. It all depends on the corner, and as previously pointed out, drifting is not about using one single technique! It's about combining them in the best possible way to make the car go as sideways and fast as possible. And amateur e-brake drifts is different from race speed e-brake drifts. If handbrake is cheating, then so is every other technique.

And yes, powersliding is the easiest by far!

Power over (powerslide) = Easy
Faint = Quite easy
E-brake = Very easy if going slow - quite hard when entering a corner at 85mph and balancing brake/e-brake
Brake drift = Hard, as it takes confidence to brake too late on purpose

[malcolm]

i take it your a newb to drifting in general.

nope, I've been drifting for years. However, I haven't been to competitions or schools because I am too busy with racing.

Your talking out of your a** and you also power over to much.

Um, I never "power-over" because I don't have the power, idiot. I almost always use feint. Rarely, I use it in conjuction with a tiny dip of the clutch when I am off the throttle. I let it drop maybe 500 - 700 rpm, and let up the clutch just fast enough that it breaks traction in the rear. More of a clutch dab than a clutch kick.

And i hope you know a shift lock is even worse for you car even more so how you do it.

Gee, thanks Mr. Obvious! I never use shift lock. I was using it as a COMPARISON, since both methods allow the revs to drop. Learn how to read.

every one drifts differnt not one way is wrong but there all differnt saying its wrong is just stupid and ignorant.

you say this, then include a quote from my post, where I say: "Try both, and see what works for you and your car." **I never said one was wrong.** If it works for you, then great, it works. If it doesn't, try something else.

READ WHAT I SAY BEFORE YOU RESPOND TO ME ABOUT IT.

[CrazyHawaiian]

Woah now, I was talking about using the handbrake to initiate, not correct angle while sliding. Big difference. I know exactly what you are talking about, and I was not dissing the handbrake in any way. Its my opinion that initiating with the handbrake is the easiest way to initiate a drift. Instant results and lower speeds. If a power over was the easiest way to initiate a drift then that would probably be the first technique people learn when they learn how to drift. And I'm not saying its impossible, but people usually dont have the confidence to commit to that type of drift when they are just learning (same with a braking drift). I have to say the majority of the people that I know that drift, first learned using the handbrake to initiate at lower speeds (inc me). So to me this makes the handbrake initiate the most "unskilled" of the bunch. People that were able to commit to a power over were considered skilled. Where you go from there depends on the driver, everyone has different experiences. Like for me I was able to learn the feint and brake drift before I had the confidence to commit to a full power over. I couldnt really put any of these techniques in order in terms of difficulty because everyone is different. But I can tell you that initiating with the handbrake is the easiest and the power over technique requires a certain ammount of skill.

[Nemesis]

i don't see how using the ebrake is looked down on...?

kumakubo uses that ebrake like a mad man...lol...

feint plus clutch....i <3 it....

but it takes real balls too do accel off into a corner...i started with accel off rather than ebrake cause my ebrake was rap and didn't stop the rearwheels...so i jus plunged into a corner and let off the gas to iniate a drift...

[Pennyman]

!!!!PLEASE READ!!!!

This thread wasn't meant to let people question others' integrity as a drifter, racer, or human. I think it's been established that clutch kicking is a viable method for initiating a drift, but people with older cars or people who don't want to subject their vehicle to undo wear and tear shouldn't use it. It's great for competitions when the judges look for it, but let's try not to let drifting be reduced to a "clutch kick fest," just because it's the preferred method by some competitors. Different situations call for different methods, and you need to be proficiant in all of them to be a consistent and competion-level drifter. Including clutch kick.