Clutch kick
Dumping the clutch to shock the drivetrain and break rear traction, used to initiate a drift or to add angle mid-corner.
Clutch kick is a technique: with the engine already making power, you dip and release the clutch sharply. The sudden reconnection shocks the drivetrain, spikes torque at the rear wheels and breaks traction - which either initiates a drift or adds angle to one you are already in.
It is one of the most-used tools in drifting, and the thing people underestimate is how often it gets used. Dozens of times a session is normal. It is not an occasional recovery move.
What it does to the car
The clutch takes the abuse first and most. No road car clutch was designed for this, which is why the clutch is first in phase 3 of the build order - it is the component whose failure most reliably ends a day in the paddock rather than a season.
The drivetrain behind it takes the shock load: the gearbox, the driveshaft, the axles and the differential mount. On a car with a locked differential there is no compliance anywhere in that path. Second-gear synchro wear is a common story, and the axles and diff mount are what the phase 3 reinforcement item exists for.
Why flywheel weight matters
A clutch kick works by releasing stored rotational energy. A very light flywheel stores less, so the kick is less effective - which is why going as light as a circuit build would is often the wrong call for drift. Factory weight or mildly lightened is the safe answer.
Buying for it
If you are choosing a clutch, buy for your target power rather than your current power, because the gearbox coming out twice is a weekend you did not need to spend. An uprated organic or sprung-hub clutch at $400 to $900 holds moderate power and stays pleasant to drive; a twin plate at $1,100 to $2,400 holds serious power with a light pedal, at the cost of grabby engagement and an engine that stalls more easily.
Questions
Will clutch kicking break my car?
It will wear the clutch much faster than road use, and it puts shock loads through the gearbox, axles and differential mount. On a stock-power car that is normal wear; once power goes up it is why the clutch and drivetrain items exist in phase 3.
Should I fit a lightweight flywheel?
Be careful going very light. Less stored energy means a less effective clutch kick and an engine that stalls more easily. Factory weight or mildly lightened suits drift better than a circuit-spec flywheel.