Lot of info in here, dind't read it all..but just thought I'd throw this in.
I heel-to-toe shift every day while driving; once you start practicing it, it becomes very addictive
. It's not totally necessary in daily driving, but I enjoy it and it does make things easier once you get it down. And although called heel-to-toe...I, and many others, don't use their heel at all. Use the left side of my right foot on the brake, and the right side of my right foot on the gas. Certain cars' positioning of the pedals makes this easier than others.