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Every hot foot I have seen has that little toe bracket you can use to pull it back. However, IMHO, there is absolutely no worse feeling in the world than to be ripping down the river it a light chop, see a big log barely floating on the surface across your path, pulling your foot up "right now" and nothing happens. By the time you remember to hook your foot on that bracket and lift, it is too late. I just check mine frequently, and keep the return spring on the hot foot pretty tight, and keep the cables in as near-perfect condition as I can. When I pick my foot up, I want the throttle at idle _right now_. There's just not a lot of time to think sometime. For example, if your brakes go out on the road, you might well use your hand-brake to get home. But if your brakes go out approaching a red light, you are probably going to rear-end someone, even though there are a couple of ways to stop. But they take time, and we need our "reflex action" to be as effective as possible. Pilots always "kick the tires" before they "light the fires". We ought to do the same and fix anything that seems off. Any binding in the throttle and I'm not launching until I fix it, tournament start time or not...

Personally, and this might sound a bit strong, but I believe that _ANYONE_ that owns a boat that can break 70 (or even 60 for that matter) owes it to the rest of us to keep his/her boat in as good a mechanical condition as possible. This includes steering, throttle cable, stuff stowed so it won't fly out and decapitate the person in the boat behind/beside you, etc...

I do it because I have seen the results of not doing it too many times on the water where you see a brand new boat planted 50' up into a field because a throttle jammed, or a steering cable broke, even on a newish boat that has not been well-maintained...

That's why I have been interested in the Verado DTS approach, which dumps the cables (stiff cables anyway, not electrical) completely in favor of digital data providing speed information between the throttle and the motor. That would make a nice addition to any outboard motor, keep the shift cable, nobody cares about that as an issue except when you can't get into forward or reverse, but I'd happily bid bye-bye to my throttle cable.

I'm personally a hot-foot fan because I feel much safer with both hands on the wheel at high speeds, yet I want to be able to chop the throttle "right now".

Here's an idea... how about a DTS-type hotfoot, with an electronic speed control. You set the speed you want with a set button, and as long as you keep your foot on the throttle, even if you move it some, the speed is maintained, but the instant you lift your foot, the throttle is electronically chopped. Now _that_ would be something I would pay for without any thought. The hotfoot would not be "sticky" since it would become electronic rather than mechanical, and the "cruise control" would be very similar to today's hand-throttle in maintaining speed, while not requiring your hand to slow down quickly...

Of course, I am talking about a verado-like DTS on a _real_ outboard. I'm not ready for a 600 lb gorilla on the back of my boat just yet...