How to drive a stick shift
To drive a stick shift, press the clutch pedal to the floor whenever you start, stop or change gear, and learn where the clutch starts to grip, called the bite point. Pull away by easing the clutch up to that point while adding a little gas. Practice for an hour in an empty parking lot with an experienced driver before you try traffic.
About 60 minutes to learnTake care: injury or damage if careless
Mark it once you can do it without this page open.
How to do it
- Find a large, empty, flat parking lot and bring a patient driver who knows manual cars.
- Sit so you can push the clutch fully to the floor with your left foot while your back stays against the seat.
- With the engine off, practice moving the shifter through the gears with the clutch down until the pattern is automatic.
- Start the engine with the clutch down and the shifter in neutral, then select first gear.
- Raise the clutch slowly until the engine note drops and the car wants to creep: that is the bite point.
- Hold the clutch there, add gentle gas, then ease the clutch up the rest of the way as the car rolls.
- To change up, lift off the gas, press the clutch down, move to the next gear, and release the clutch smoothly while adding gas.
- To stop, press the clutch down and brake, and shift to neutral once you have stopped.
- Practice hill starts only once flat starts are smooth, using the parking brake to hold the car while you find the bite point.
Stop and call a professional if
- You want to learn in traffic: book a lesson with a licensed driving instructor.
- The clutch slips, smells hot or the gears grind even when you shift slowly.
Common mistakes
- Dropping the clutch suddenly, which stalls the car or makes it jump.
- Resting a foot on the clutch pedal while driving, which wears it out.
- Holding the car on a hill with the clutch instead of the brake.
- Looking down at the shifter instead of the road.
Quick self-check
Three questions. Your last score is kept in this browser.
Teach this to someone
A one-page sheet for showing a friend, a roommate or a kid: what to say, what to show, and one question to check it landed.
Teach: How to drive a stick shift
What to say
To drive a stick shift, press the clutch pedal to the floor whenever you start, stop or change gear, and learn where the clutch starts to grip, called the bite point. Pull away by easing the clutch up to that point while adding a little gas. Practice for an hour in an empty parking lot with an experienced driver before you try traffic.
What to show, in order
- Find a large, empty, flat parking lot and bring a patient driver who knows manual cars.
- Sit so you can push the clutch fully to the floor with your left foot while your back stays against the seat.
- With the engine off, practice moving the shifter through the gears with the clutch down until the pattern is automatic.
- Start the engine with the clutch down and the shifter in neutral, then select first gear.
- Raise the clutch slowly until the engine note drops and the car wants to creep: that is the bite point.
- Hold the clutch there, add gentle gas, then ease the clutch up the rest of the way as the car rolls.
- To change up, lift off the gas, press the clutch down, move to the next gear, and release the clutch smoothly while adding gas.
- To stop, press the clutch down and brake, and shift to neutral once you have stopped.
- Practice hill starts only once flat starts are smooth, using the parking brake to hold the car while you find the bite point.
When to stop and call a professional
- You want to learn in traffic: book a lesson with a licensed driving instructor.
- The clutch slips, smells hot or the gears grind even when you shift slowly.
The check question
Ask: What is the bite point?
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- Every skill in Car and Road
Last reviewed . First published .