How do you shift? Do you hold it like a joystick or with hand on top (like a cane) or some other way?

 

Thumbs up 1st to 2nd. Then invert hand (thumbs down) 2nd to 3rd & so on. This way i have a tendency to push outward to avoid mis-shifting, especially going from 5th to 6th. Dont want to hit 2nd during spirited driving!

 

Hand around the side with thumb over the top, this allows me to actually only need to flick my wrist around to change gears if I want to.

 

I'm strangely disturbed by this thread.

 

Does it really matter? Your clutch work is going to make more of a difference than your hand position.

For what its worth--I put my hand on the top. No need to change hand position throughout the gears. That is just wasted movement in my opinion.

 

This shifting philosphy has been with us for years and is gennerally accepted as an excellent way to avoid bouncing into 1st while shifting into third on four speed transmissions. I too have used this method with my z but find it not as useful with the narrow gates of a six speed.

The idea of inverting your hand was to automatically push the shifter to the right when going to 3rd or 5th gear. The narrow gates of the six speed require a little more finese than just slamming it into the general direction of the selected gear. The thumb up or down method is good, but you have to concentrate a little so you don't overshoot the gate and end up in the wrong gear.

 

I haven't really noticed, since most of it is very intuitive to me. But, when thinking about it, my hand shifts positions depending on what gear I'm in and what gear I'm going to.

 

I do pretty much the same thing. Of course, it comes pretty natural to me, but I still want to make sure I never blow a shift! (I did once in my Camaro when I was really pissed off, and it only made things worse for the person I was mad at--he'll remain nameless.... )

 

Like an overhand curveball. Thumb below the left seam, index and middle on the right seam. Other two fingers resting gently on the side.

Josh

 

Well, if you really must know, I go into the bathroom and close and lock the door. I often take a magazine or the daily paper and then I.......Oh......wait a minute........Shift?


Sorry. Nevermind.

 

/giggles at the good Doctor =)

I enjoy changing how I grip it...keeps it interesting. Just glad I found a comfy position for the car seat so that my legs and feet have good control over the pedals while still staying comfy.

 

I grab in a natural position from 1st to second with my thumb on top of the ****, or on the side, and going to third I put my index, and middle finger on top of the ****, and my thumb on the side and kind of push with the heel of the palm of my hand, and go back to position 1 for 3-4, and back to position 2 for 4-5, etc.

 

Yuk it up, Bonz-er.

 

usually grab it firmly, with such a short and tight shift, I cant just push it up and have it find its way in. it will hang up on the gate if its not right.

I havent used 5th gear in almost 3 weeks now.... what a waste of a gear... Im either accelerating or cruisng, neither of which happens in 5th.

 

Same here, but I sometimes go into 5th before I go into 6th just to get the gear some use. Completely skipping gears and not using them at all isn't great for the syncros.

 

oh yeah, Ive done that occasionally, but I dont even really give it gas... I just put in in, clutch out, then clutch in, into 6th.

from 4th to 6th, the revs drop just right for a smooth shift, going into 5th I have to blip the throttle cause there is hardly any RPM drop.