In tight spaces you can see hesitation more than you can on the road. When you are in a tight space and making small steering and speed adjustments, there are more opportunities to make hurried adjustments instead of the desired deliberate and slow adjustments. Do not worry about how quickly you can drive through the tight space; instead, work on deliberately slowing down. Drive at a very slow speed in to allow yourself to notice the effect of each individual adjustment and to gain a feeling of control.
Start by finding a small confined space that is easy to see the boundaries and limits of, like two parked vehicles or road markings. Drive slowly from one boundary towards the other, carefully making gradual adjustments to keep the car on a clear path between the two boundaries. Keep the car moving slowly and keep your steering adjustments gradual and deliberate. If you need to, stop and allow the vehicle to finish one movement, before making the next adjustment. This makes you more deliberate in your adjustments so you are less likely to be rushed and making multiple quick adjustments in an attempt to make corrections as you would on the road.
Making small steering adjustments quickly, in a rapid succession is a common problem in tight spaces and leads to a more unstable and stressful driving experience. It is much better to make one steering correction, stop and observe how that correction affects your line; then make another small steering correction if needed. Another mistake is making the adjustment at too fast of a speed as you have less time to think and evaluate the effect of your changes. In these situations, the most common problem is actually driving too quickly and slowing down further will usually correct this.
If you are struggling to find the right reference points, try simplifying what you have to worry about. Rather than worrying about the position of the car relative to the two boundaries, just focus on making the front of the vehicle touch the edge of a parking line. You should also try to find a reference point to steer towards, like the side of one of the parked vehicles. By focusing on fewer aspects of the car’s movement you will be less overwhelmed and will be able to gain a better understanding of how the car handles in a confined space. As you gain confidence you will be able to make faster turns or put the car into reverse, but keep to the same gradual and deliberate speed.
Spend 15 minutes each day driving in and out of tight spaces. Use the same two points and make sure you use them both in forward and reverse. Repeat this process a number of times until you are confident with how much adjustments you need to make. Over time you will be better at judging how much space you have, and be able to make adjustments in a more controlled manner when you have a limited amount of space.