When I started going to the track, I was taught the shuffle steer technique where, just before you turn in, you move the inside corner hand up on the wheel and pull down. It really made navigating a course easy and comfortable for me.



Now I've developed my skill as a driver over time and i can shuffle steer subconsciously and focus on other parts of my technique that needs improving.



However, this weekend, my instructor had me move from shuffle steering to a locked position at 9 & 3. For the next hour of track time, I continuously missed apexes on the late side of the corner and made virtually no improvement. I kept catching myself shuffling the wheel and kept making myself stay locked at 9 & 3 minus a corner that has a slow 110 degree turn ( so you have to shuffle a little there so you dont over cross your arms!)



Last run of the day I said To Hell with it and went back to my old ways. But what I found is that its much easier to make a slight correction before mid corner when you stay locked at 9 & 3 compared to shuffle steering

( Maybe because when your "locked" your already engaged in the corner with your arms where with shuffle you have to move away from the standard position of staying at 9 & 3 constantly)



Do you find it this hard to learn a new steering technique? I know if I want to lower my times I'm going to have to switch sooner than later..

 

If the corners allow for keeping my hands static on the wheel I will do that. It's much easier to know where your tires are pointed if you start to lose traction than if you're shuffling your hands.



Honestly I don't pay too much attention to what my hands are doing when I'm racing. I'll have to look over some of my in-car GoPro footage to see what I'm doing.

 

If you get your arms all twisted up because you need to turn the wheel more, get a faster steering rack. Otherwise you can realize slightly finer control with fixed hand position . . . after you get used to it.

 

pfft, one hand on the handbrake and one palm on the tiller. kdm drift beast all the way rofl



in all seriousness though, the shuffle vs 9'n'3 debate has been going on off the race track for years, they come and go out of fashion. i would look at what the best racing drivers (ie rally/f1 etc) use, which is 9'n'3. learning a new technique is pretty much just muscle memory, you'll naturally have trouble learning a new technique. you don't really have a choice but to rote learn it

 

for me it depends on how fast im driving/how lazy im feeling...

on the track it would be 9&3 as much as possible at' first anyway.

but on the street ill shuffle my hands cause i dont like to put my hand on the top of the wheel all the time.

i normally end up with my hands at 9&3 whenever i pull out, but then ill shift to the bottom for cruising...