Most people find driving a manual transmission(stick shift) extremely difficult.Howwver,it only takes some practice to make driving a manual transmission a piece of cake.
On a standard five speed car the stick shift panel is located between the two front seats of the car. the stick shift can be moved left to right and front to back for changing gears.The clutch pedal is found to the right of the brake pedal.
When the car is in stopped position, the gear must be in neutral, which is located in the middle of the panel.From neutral, gears must be changed accordingly. First gear is found to the far front left, and is used to get the car moving from a stopped position. Downleft is the second gear, which is used for speeds up to twenty-five miles per hour. Third gear is located front middle of the panel, and is used for speeds from about twenty-five up to fourty miles per hour. Forth gear is found at the back middle and would be good for speeds between fourty and fifty miles per hour. Fifth gear is located to the far front right, and is used for higher speeds more than fifty miles per hour such as on the freeway. Last but not least is the reverse, which is found to the far back right of the panel. Reverse is used for backing up.
While changing gears comes the trickiest and the most difficult part of driving a stick shift, that is figuring out the timing of letting out the clutch and pushing the gas pedal. When changing gears,the clutch must always be pushed to the floor with the left foot or the car's gear will grind. Then, the clutch must be slowly let out as more gas is given to the car. .
Following these instructions along with patience and practice will lead to a mastery in driving a stick shift transmission.