Training Your Senses To Become A Better Driver
We looked at training you auditory sense in the last post.
In this post, it is all about the sense of balance and kinesthetic.
Most people believe there are only 5 senses. This is incorrect there are 6. The forgotten sense is our sense of balance.
Balance for a driver is essential. Here’s how to train it up:
Technique One For Training Balance and Kinesthetic Sense:
Loads of the top drivers are able to competently ride a unicycle. Being finely tuned into
the balance of keeping it up and learning to read how small changes can have big effects. Think
about how useful this is for driving a car, being able to notice all the small changes,
picking up on them and fixing them. You need to train yourself to have this
kind of awareness!
Mika Hakkinen on unicycle
You can pick up a unicycle here:
(These unicycles are fine for use for both kids and adults, big and small)
Now learn how to ride it and practice, practice, practice. Next time you are on the track pay attention and notice how you are able to gather information and feedback from your body more accurately.
Technique Two For Training Balance and Kinesthetic Sense:
Master the wobble board.
Live on the wobble board to train and heighten your sense of balance. Be constantly improving it. Stand on it while watching TV or for a real challenge stand on it while playing a video game (preferably a driving game!)
That’s it for now.
Let me know how you are going with the training of your senses.
robin (at) f1driverssecrets (dot) com
Keep Racing!
Robin
www.F1DriversSecrets.com
Training Your Senses For Heightened Driving Experience
There are a few different techniques that you can use to train your senses. We looked at training
visual sense in the last post. 
In this post, it is all about auditory.
Technique One For Training Auditory Sense:
Listen to a piece of classical music. Listen carefully the full way through (say a 4 – 8 minute piece).
As you are listening attempt to pick out each instrument you can hear.
Write them down. Really listen for each instrument you are able to pick out.
The reason for this is that your car is like an orchestra of sound, tires, engines, gears…
being able to pinpoint and differentiate these sounds heightens your driving sense and
awareness whilst in the car.
You can download some classical symphony music here to get started right now!
Technique Two For Training Auditory Sense:
Turn the TV down to a point where you are forced to strain to listen to it.
So it is just above barely audible and you really have to concentrate on what is being said.
Make sure the room is silent and it is just you and the TV. When you are comfortable at that l
evel, turn it down a little more. Once again this exercise is serving to train your ears
to tune in and pay attention to what is going. Powerful stuff when you transfer
these skills to the car.
The Process
We are in the process of creating a full sensory experience of driving! This stuff is
going to explode your results so stick with me whilst I show you a few more full sensory 
techniques to get you driving quicker!
Any questions?
Email me: robin (at) f1driverssecrets (dot) com
Keep Racing!
Robin
Lewis Hamilton knows that a race car is far too quick to drive
at the conscious level. You must engage all your senses and
pre-program responses. Get to understand your car inside and
out. It is possible to do this from taking information in through all
your senses. True there is no substitute for perfect driving practice.
But how do you enhance that perfect driving practice? Increase
your awareness of how you take in information while driving.
Next time you’re out on track practice this:
Step 1:
Drive two laps just paying attention to your auditory sense…
what do you notice? Listen to the engine, the gear change, the revs.
Step 2:
After completing those two laps, stop the car and make notes
about your experience, get all the information from that sense.
Step 3:
Then drive 2 laps just paying attention to your visual sense, picking
the cues and markers, collecting information from the track, just
through the sense of sight.
Step 4:
After completing those two laps, stop the car and make notes about
your experience, get all the information from that sense
Step 5:
Drive two laps just paying attention to the feel of the car, feel the
acceleration and braking points, noticing everything to do with
your kinaesthetic sense.
Step 6:
Again: After completing those two laps, stop the car and make
notes about your experience, get all the information from that sense.
Most drivers just drive around using all their senses for each lap,
but when you break it down, deconstruct this experience and then
reconstruct it, your experience of driving that same track is greatly
different, more powerful and enhanced. It’s about becoming
aware and engaging all of these areas to decrease reaction
times and improve lap times.
Have questions?
Contact me: robin (at) f1driverssecrets (dot) com
Keep Racing!
How to Train Your Visual Sense Like Lewis Formula 1!
As we know driving a race car is far too quick to be done at the conscious level,
making decisions and thinking aboutthings, it is all done so quickly it is
at the reactionary level.
One of the areas that is so powerful for the quickest drivers is being able
to accurately judge and guess distances for example judging
the braking points.
Just like anything with practice your visual sense and you ability to judge
distance can be practiced and improved.
Two Methods To Improve Your Visual Sense
Method One
So for example maybe you are going to the shops. Pick a point and guess how many
steps away it is. Then count out the number of steps you took to get there (don’t cheat!) and
see if you were close.
As you get better at this you will get more accurate and you can transfer
this new skill to the track.
Method Two
This one is a lot more fun… and just as effective!
A lot of the top F1 drivers can drive remote control cars really well.
Why is this? Sure remote control cars are a lot of fun and maybe
there is that attraction to cars that go fast but in reality it is
fantastic for building up your visual sense. Think about it. If you set up a track
that you have to drive a remote control car around you have to get the distances
exactly correct using different angles for that car to successfully complete a lap,
this is awesome and so much fun for
training your visual sense.
(about the picture.. .sure Bourdais is no longer in F1 but how
good do you have to be to get there in the 
first place!)
Here is a good solid entry level remote control car that is
perfect for training up the visual sense:
Or if you are in the USA this one will get to you quicker:
So that’s it pretty simple (and fun) stuff.
Leave your comments and let me know your thoughts.
Keep Racing!
Robin
F1 Drivers Secrets
