Photo: Catalin Garmacea
“Do not yank the steering wheel!” Common sense, as well as most driving instructors, try to introduce this as a rule of the thumb. Well, sometimes when you want to drift, you’ll have to do just that. Of course, it’s all done in a controlled manner that goes under two main names.
If you’re a rally driver, you call this the Scandinavian Flick, while pro drifters prefer to label this as the inertia technique, or feint drifting. At first, you can use this pathway to play with your car a little bit as you make the first steps towards the serious sideways stuff.
When performed in a safe environment, the entry-level feint movements are the automotive equivalent of dipping your toes into the pool before a swim. This technique involves swinging the car from one side to another. As you do so, you’ll get to feel how the resulting weight transfer offsets the balance of the car and influences the grip on each side of the vehicle.
It all starts with approaching a corner closer to the inside rather than on the ideal line. After you’ve completed the braking part, tug the steering wheel in the opposite direction of the corner. Then steer back into the bend - the movement will cause the rear end of your car to come loose, thus initiating the drift.
It’s better to start off at lower speeds and, if you feel the vehicle needs some extra sideways momentum, gently step on the brakes as the car starts sliding. You can also use the brakes to amplify the movement at high speeds, but only after you’ve mastered the technique.
Now that you’ve got the car going sideways, you should catch the slide by countersteering and applying a bit of throttle. By doing this, you’ll drift your way through the corner as intended.
Nevertheless, as you increase the speed and the steering wheel angle, problems can start to arise. The most common mistake is too apply too much steering lock as you steer back into the corner. This will cause the car to snap and you’ll end up in an extreme oversteer situation. In other words, you’ll spin.
Then there’s the clean manoeuvre requirement. The drift should only include the initial turn-away movement, the part where you steer back into the bend and the countersteer-acceleration movement that brings the car back in line. This is not meant to be a perpetual swing through the corner.
However, when completing the final countersteering and acceleration step, you might be tempted to overcorrect the vehicle’s movement. This might, once again, send you spinning, with the failure arriving just when you thought you had completed the drift.
Speaking of gravel, the Scandinavian Flick is used not just as a drifting method, but also as a time-earning technique in rallying. Especially when working with front-wheel drive cars, which are hopeless when it comes to cornering using the standard racing line in low grip environments, drivers turn to this method to get round a corner faster.
Yes, we said FWD cars. We’re not here to discuss whether such machines are able to drift or should be confined to the term “sliding”. Keep that slip angle respectable and let your driving do the talking.
Oh, and do keep in mind that this guide is part of the Life Beyond Grip series.
When performed in a safe environment, the entry-level feint movements are the automotive equivalent of dipping your toes into the pool before a swim. This technique involves swinging the car from one side to another. As you do so, you’ll get to feel how the resulting weight transfer offsets the balance of the car and influences the grip on each side of the vehicle.
It all starts with approaching a corner closer to the inside rather than on the ideal line. After you’ve completed the braking part, tug the steering wheel in the opposite direction of the corner. Then steer back into the bend - the movement will cause the rear end of your car to come loose, thus initiating the drift.
It’s better to start off at lower speeds and, if you feel the vehicle needs some extra sideways momentum, gently step on the brakes as the car starts sliding. You can also use the brakes to amplify the movement at high speeds, but only after you’ve mastered the technique.
Now that you’ve got the car going sideways, you should catch the slide by countersteering and applying a bit of throttle. By doing this, you’ll drift your way through the corner as intended.
The necessary precautions
As we mentioned, at first you should only pull little slides so that you get used to how the car reacts to your inputs.Nevertheless, as you increase the speed and the steering wheel angle, problems can start to arise. The most common mistake is too apply too much steering lock as you steer back into the corner. This will cause the car to snap and you’ll end up in an extreme oversteer situation. In other words, you’ll spin.
Then there’s the clean manoeuvre requirement. The drift should only include the initial turn-away movement, the part where you steer back into the bend and the countersteer-acceleration movement that brings the car back in line. This is not meant to be a perpetual swing through the corner.
However, when completing the final countersteering and acceleration step, you might be tempted to overcorrect the vehicle’s movement. This might, once again, send you spinning, with the failure arriving just when you thought you had completed the drift.
There are multiple use for the Scandinavian Flick / Feint Technique
It’s best to start practicing on low-grip surfaces. You don’t have to wait for winter to come, wet tarmac will do just fine. Gravel is ideal for this, but you have to watch out, as your drive wheels might pick up the rocks from the road and throw them onto the bodywork.Speaking of gravel, the Scandinavian Flick is used not just as a drifting method, but also as a time-earning technique in rallying. Especially when working with front-wheel drive cars, which are hopeless when it comes to cornering using the standard racing line in low grip environments, drivers turn to this method to get round a corner faster.
Yes, we said FWD cars. We’re not here to discuss whether such machines are able to drift or should be confined to the term “sliding”. Keep that slip angle respectable and let your driving do the talking.
Oh, and do keep in mind that this guide is part of the Life Beyond Grip series.
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