How best to learn manual transmission shifting?
Two things really helped me learn how to drive stick when I was younger: understanding what it is I’m doing every time I shift, and lots of practice. Howstuffworks has pretty good articles on manual transmissions and clutches that you might want to read before you head out. As for the practice, well, that’s the easy part, really. It’ll come. When I was 13, my dad made me give him a lecture on how a manual transmission worked, then gave me the keys to his old Toyota truck and let me teach myself. By the end of the day, having never driven before, I could drive that old hunk pretty well. I’m sure you’ll do fine. Good luck!
