I was driving today and wondered how others use their SMG.
I find that I'll use the paddles a fair amount but I seem to use the stick more often.

 

Hi, realty. I'm pretty much paddles all the way. I like the benefit of safer multitasking.

 

You had the perfect answer for me -- "Some odd combination of both."

I swear to God that just this evening, before seeing this poll, I was thinking about this exact thing. I found myself using the stick and wondered why I was doing it. Then I found myself using the paddles later on. I started to be more aware of what I was doing and I realized that there's no method to my madness -- it's seems to be totally random -- I sometimes use the paddles and sometimes use the stick. I did discover that when both hands are on the wheel, I find that I use my right hand for both up and downshifting. (I was even thinking about how hard it will be to retrain myself if I ever end up getting an M5 with the different paddle setup...)

Thanks for reading my mind there realtyman! Scary, that's what it is...

 

about 90% paddles and 10% stick.

paddles always when driving hard.

stick when i'm in traffic and my shoulder is tired (sports seats not sporty enough) or feel like putting my arm in a different position to get the blood circulating...

 

I was just trying to figure out the Madness to my Method.

BTW, has anyone noticed that when using the stick, you only need to push it very little in either direction to effect the gear change (in other words, you don't need to hit the stop for it to change).

That'll give you guys something to do tomorrow on your way to work.
Try to see how little you need to push the stick to get the gear to change.

 

I've only had my e60 for two weeks, so I am still getting used to the SMG, after spending the last 3 years on a manual. I'm noticing that I still tend to drive with my left hand at the 12 o'clock position on the wheel, with my right hand on the gearshift. I'm trying to condition myself to revert back to the 10 and 2 positions, but it is slow going...until I do, I suspect I will still favor the stick over the paddles. Somehow, my body seems to anticipate (i.e., ignore) the car's momentary hestitation in shifting better when I implement it via the stick... some kind of residual sense memory from doing the whole engage clutch-shift-disenage clutch routine.

 

jdubbs, you're completely "normal" in how you're adjusting to the SMG.

I went through the exact same process as you seem to be going through and I suspect that the others that went from a traditional manual to an SMG did too.

I'll bet that after time, you'll be using the same "odd combination of both" as many of us are now...

 

Nah, he'll figure out that the efficiency of the paddles beats the stew out of the stick.

 

Around corners, or crawling in shopping center's parking lots, I always use the stick. It's hard to shift via paddles when you're turning the wheel.

 

Yeah, but the stick is so much closer to that pretty leg in the passenger's seat.