Let me give you some sound advice on steering. Do *not* grab the steering wheel from the inside, as this can be very dangerous. You won’t be able to correct the wheel’s position in case something unanticipated happens (like a vehicle suddenly appearing in the direction you’re turning towards).

There are different ways to steer the steering wheel, and this includes the following:

* Palming - A one-hand steering technique where you press your left palm (the hand not doing the shifting) onto the wheel to turn it round and round.
* Hand over hand - A two-handed technique where one hand may cross over the other hand when needed.
* Shuffle steering - Considered a safer way of operating the steering wheel. This entails your left hand staying on the left side of the wheel, and the right hand on the right side.

The best, by far, in my opinion is shuffle steering.

[Y]our left hand always stays on the left half of the wheel. Your right hand always stays on the right half of the wheel. So, the highest your hands can go is where both hands are at 12 o’clock (your hands touch their index fingers together). The lowest both hands can go is 6 o’clock (where your hands touch their pinkies together).

When you turn right, it is because your right hand is pulling down on the wheel. When you turn left, it is because your left hand is pulling down on the wheel. This pulling down comes from your back muscles, and is therefore very powerful. So, if you’re going to take a right turn, slide your right hand up the wheel, grip, and then start pulling down. If you “run out of wheel” (the right hand hit edge of its legal range of motion [6 o'clock]), the left hand can grab the wheel to keep it from turning, and you slide the right hand up, grab the wheel again, relax the left, and then continue pulling down with the right.

Bobby Ore has developed the ultimate steering technique, a variation of shuffle steering. In short, he adds one constraint, both hands must always be at the same height. In other words, here are some “legal” positions (given the left and then the right hand):

* 12 and 12 (index fingers touching)
* 11 and 1
* 10 and 2
* 9 and 3
* 8 and 4 (the suggested default grip)
* 7 and 5
* 6 and 6 (pinky fingers touching)

Note that if you know where one hand is, you know where the other hand is.

So think of this more like raising and lowering your hands, where they are at the same height. The only exception to this same height rule would be when you are adjusting the height of your hands without turning the wheel because you feel like doing so.

Shuffle steering is not only safe. It can also lessen the likelihood of getting soreness in your chest muscles and biceps, because it’s the stronger tricep and back muscles you’re using. This is especially useful if you’re operating a car without power steering.

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Written by J. Angelo Racoma on February 23, 2007 | Leave a Comment