The title of our image above is, "What not to do
So, what is wrong with the image above? If we look closely we can see that the driver has shifted their left hand to the top of the steering wheel while turning. This is one of the most common mistakes we see at Blayze, so today we want to tell you why this is a very bad habit.
In last weeks Weekly Coaching Tip we spoke about the importance of smooth inputs, especially at turn in. The biggest issue a driver incurs when shifting their hands is it pulls their shoulder away from the seat. As a small experiment, go sit in your car and put your hands at the 9 and 3 o'clock position. Turn one way without shifting your hands up the steering wheel, take note how if you are in the correct seating position the back of your shoulder can easily remain in strong contact with the back of your seat. Now go to turn again, and move your top hand to the top of the steering wheel while turning. You will immediately notice the back of your shoulder come off the back of the seat.
The problem that occurs when a drivers shoulder comes off the back of the seat is it changes leverage. When that shoulder comes off we are moving our entire arm when turning the steering wheel, which makes it far more difficult to be precise. When the car has any type of snap oversteer it will be much more difficult to make the correct corrections and the driver will tend to overcorrect which turns into a much worse situation.
When our shoulder remains in contact with the back of the seat our shoulders have much more control of small movements needed. One piece of advice we always give is to make sure you have a camera positioned on yourself driving so you can review what your form looks like. Many drivers don't even realize they shift their hands when turning, so consistently going over this video will be a great way to keep you in check!
