Clutch Kick Drifting Technique

The clutch kick drifting technique is also great for the novice drifter. During a corner you briefly “kick” down the clutch while remaining on the throttle. Revving up the engine and releasing the clutch upsets the balance, causing the car to oversteer.

It's actually the opposite of the heel-toe downshifting. When you use the clutch kick drifting technique and “kick the clutch”, the clutch is spinning slower than the flywheel, rather than the other way around as with a downshift.

If the clutch connects back to the flywheel it is forced to slow down. When this happens it delivers a shock through the drivetrain that is too sudden for the (driven) tires to cope with. It can lock up the tires momentarily, so that the rear tires lose traction (assuming it’s a RWD).

The same actually happens if you were giving it some throttle and popped the clutch from a standstill...except now you’re moving.

Clutch Kick Drifting Technique
How To:

• Coming from the straight towards a corner


• Brake and heel-toe downshift


• Finish braking then steer into the corner


• Give it some throttle and briefly “kick” on the clutch


• The rear wheels lock up. Feel the back end lose traction and start to countersteer with the wheels along the corner’s path


• Wait until you see that the car is facing the direction of the corner exit. Then gently give it a little power to pick up the drift. Control the throttle throughout the drift towards the exit.

The good thing to point out is that the clutch kick drifting technique is quite predictable, since the response is almost immediately after you release the clutch. How much it affects balance depends on how much throttle you use, how long the clutch is disengaged, and how deep you depress the pedal. The more of each, the more abrupt the effect will be.

Since the technique is based on acceleration you will not lose any speed, making this a good technique for the lower horsepower cars. While drifting the clutch kick drifting technique can also be used to gain more momentum, to extend your drift, or to get more angle.

Another big advantage is that, just as with power over, you can apply it almost anywhere throughout corners.

It comes as no surprise that the clutch kick drifting technique can be a bit harmful for the drivetrain, but I personally think it’s not that damaging for your car as long as you don't overdo the throttle. It's not near as damaging as the shift lock drifting technique! As long as you are not too rough with the controls it won’t be that bad.

The only big downside is that the clutch just wears down a lot faster, and in some cases it can break something in the driveline. So always keep your car and its parts in top condition! To upgrade parts that are exposed to a lot of stress, such as, in this situation the clutch, is not a bad idea at all.