Sim racing coaching: is it worth it?
Ever wondered why you are so slow, or how you could improve your lap time? Some people go through countless hours of checking telemetry, analysing youtube videos by the competition, trying and trying the same corner where you lose a lot of time.
But, what if there is a easier and more fun way to learn and get faster? Ever thought about getting coaching from a professional sim racer?
This is an area that has grown a lot recently, hand to hand with the expansion of our favourite hobby. You can now find a lot of professional sim racers that set up coaching classes, or 1-to-1 lessons to make some additional income. In some cases, even real life league drivers that compete in international competitions.
In terms of format, there are multiple ways to get coached. From platforms where you can attend classes and get general help with setups and other tips, to more customised solutions. This goes from asynchronous coaching (for instance uploading a video and getting video/audio/data feedback) to real live coaching sessions where you are on a virtual track together with the teacher and you can follow him and get real time tips.
WHAT DO WE THINK ABOUT IT?
Personally, we haven’t tried any coach yet, but it’s something we might get into in the future to speed up my improvements.
Hiring the services of a sim racing coach might be good especially if you don’t have too much time to practice on your own.
There are a few areas where sim racing coaching can help:
- Improving your racing line
- Teaching you the ideal breaking zone
- Overtaking: when to try and how to manage yourself during a race
- Hardware: how to pick, install and setup your hardware to be comfortable and maximise your talent.
- Teach how to setup the car based on your simulation (assetto corsa, iracing, rfactor, etc) and race strategies. A lot of coaches even offer ready-made setup packages that can be used by their students
- Help with reading telemetry: you might already use data to analyse your laps and compare with the fastest sim racers but by using the help of a pro you will definetely learn something interesting.
IS IT REALLY SOMETHING FOR ME?
It depends on yourself. Some people like to have a teacher telling them how to improve, others prefer to learn by themselves, especially if they are introverts.
In any case, these talented coaches can spot the tiniest flaws in your technique, provide tailored feedback, and help you shave seconds off your lap times.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN SELECTING A SIM RACING COACH?
When seeking your sim racing coach, consider the following:
- Experience: Find a coach who has a strong racing background and can give you some of their speed!
- Personality: Choose someone that fits with you. Are you an introvert and don’t like to talk too much? Or you like being on video? A good match can make your sessions much more fun and light
- Price: there are expensive coaches, and cheper one. Clearly, the more experienced and successful the driver is, the more it will cost. Especially if you are talking about real pros or even real life racers.
- Customization: A great coach will tailor their approach to your unique needs, with a mix of technical parts, track time, and a focus on the areas where you have more room to get better.
To maximise your benefit, we think it’s important to have clearly in mind what your goals are when reaching out to a coach. With that, you will be able to customise a program to your needs to focus on the areas where you are struggling the most
HOW MUCH DOES A SIM RACING COACH COST?
Well, it depends. It can range from 10$ per hours if you get an unexperienced coach, or someone that is starting with coaching and want to get the word out there and have the first trial clients, to much more than that.
HOW TO FIND A SIM RACING COACH
- Online Communities: Join sim racing forums or social media groups, and check for recommendations and advice from fellow sim racers
- Coaching Platforms: Search the web and social pages made by sim racing coaches, browse through the profiles and follow and connect directly with available coaches.
- Streamers: some of the most famous sim racing streamers have some link with coaches or do coaching directly themselves
With a quick online search, you will be able to find some more advanced sim racing coaches such as Coach Dave or the Driver’s university Driver 61
WILL GETTING A COACH MAKE ME A PRO SIM RACER?
No! With a coach, you might be able to improve much faster and learn something you did not know before, but at the end of the day Sim Racing success comes with a lot of practice on the track, and talent.