I really don't think it's necessary to pay to learn touch typing. I learnt using sites like rataype, and they work just fine. I've never tried something like Typesy or Mavis Beacon 20. In fact, I've never even heard of them.
As mentioned in this sub-reddit, it's really up to personal preference.
Most of what I read on-line suggests brown (tactile) switches are best for typing.
I tried an optical brown keyboard and an optical red keyboard for a month and wound up going with the brown, as I was typing more errors with the red (too easy to actuate). Of course, this would have likely changed over time and I can see people flying with reds.
This is the keyboard I wound up getting. If I were to get one today, I would likely get another optical, but a 10 key-less one. (I rarely use the keypad, so it just takes up space.)
>Keychron K2V2
even I want that keybaord but unfortunately I cant buy that keyboard its out of my budget TBH and this is the keyboard which I'm planning to buy can you please go through the product description and let me know what is best about this keyboard and what is bad !
https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B019O9LPI8/ref=ox\_sc\_act\_title\_2?smid=A14CZOWI0VEHLG&psc=1
I'm thinking to buy 60% mechanical keyboard with brown switches is that good? I wanna reach 110wpm and my current speed is 87 WPM
the product which I'm thinking to buy is this one:
https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B019O9LPI8/ref=ox\_sc\_act\_image\_1?smid=A14CZOWI0VEHLG&psc=1
>Maybe you kept hitting the spacebar by mistake on the mechanical keyboard and so you folded your thumb out of the way to stop it. Now, it's become a problem.
That seems like what happened. I always use the right thumb for the spacebar and prior to using a mechanical keyboard I always had it straight. As you mention, it's as though I am unconsciously scared of hitting the space bar on the mechanical keyboard and end up folding my thumb.
For the past three weeks I've been trying to force myself to keep my thumb straight but that slows down my typing close to 0 wpm lol, and as soon as I stop focusing on my thumb to focus on what I'm typing instead, my thumb folds back in.
I use this keyboard.
I have actually been thinking of putting a stick to force my thumb to stay straight. Haven't tried it so far. I found this online.
I type on a Logitech Deluxe 250 at home which I find weirdly comfortable despite it being old and cheap and the sort of thing that many keyboard enthusiasts would hate because the specification and the feel are apparently terrible.
At work I use a low profile wireless dell keyboard which feels really nice. I feel as if I can type a lot faster on it because of the fact it's low profile, but when I look at the numbers, there is no difference in my performance between the keyboards.
I also type on my laptop which is an HP Probook 450 G7 (which is nothing special, just a standard work laptop) but the keyboard feels great to type on.
By regularly having to switch between these three keyboards, I think it's made me a better typist in terms of now being able to adapt to other random keyboards within a few minutes. Again, that's just a feeling, and I don't know if I would be able to switch between keyboards easily anyway.
The main thing you should look at when choosing a keyboard is comfort. Keyboards won't make you any faster. There's a point where you are slower and less accurate because you're still getting used to something new, but to be honest, long term, the difference in your personal performance between different boards will be negligible.
Hey u/a_fuge! & thanks u/simpleauthority!
Drifts are a common leftover in students who started with 2 to 5 finger forms, where the hand would cross over or force another hand out of position. It will take a bit of time for your hands to get used to the new position, and a bit longer for the little kinks to get worked out.
So, let's go over how to fix the drift faster and get your brain on the right track. First things first, slow down for now. When we are pushing the limits of our speed we become less cognizant of form errors that slowly push/pull us away from position.
I want you to do the following lesson:
https://www.typing.com/student/lesson/328/common-english-words
These are very simple words and short sections. Our goal here isn't speed, it is slow, methodical strikes to the very center of the key. Just do the first screen for now. Don't move on until you can do the very first screen with each key hit directly in the middle at 100% accuracy. Once you've gotten through all 19 screens (slowly), try a conventional test (shoot for about 15 to 20wpm and center of the key strikes since you are usually around 36wpm).
Take note of which fingers seem to struggle or resist the most, then repost here. I'll be glad to give you strategies to make those keys a piece of cake.
Accuracy and center strikes refine our form to the point of laser accuracy. If I make a mistake these days, it isn't because of a half-tap anymore, it's either because of an inadvertent double tap, or just the straight up wrong key (usually because I'll finish the word incorrectly like, "worthy" instead of "worth") I had the same problem as you originally: both of my hands started to drift whenever I got up to speed. You'll get it with slow, intentional practice.
Hey u/Lonely-Towel-4934!
For the sake of comparison, it would be a good idea to try a 1 minute formal test and see where you land after 5 or so attempts. https://www.typing.com/student/typing-test/1-minute
These types of test are the closest approximation to regular typing, and give you a small snap shot of where you are truly at. When you increase the time to 3 or 5 minutes, you should expect a drop off of only a few wpm on average.
I teach students between the ages of 11 to 15. The overall average at your age is somewhere in the ballpark of 30wpm with about 85% accuracy based on my experience, usually with a lot of looking down involved and 2 to 5 finger strategies abounding. That's on a test like the one I linked above.
Students, when properly trained, average 43wpm and 95% accuracy by comparison. If you were to pull 85wpm (the average of 70 to 100) you would be in the top 10% of typists at your age based on my student stats.
Great work u/Mathew19_26!!! This is the same instructor from before :).
Ok, so you've got to that point, now let's get you sped up!
Go to the lesson Common English Words. This is going to be your bread and butter for a little while.
The beauty behind this lesson is twofold: not only are the words common (hence the name) but they are also root words. This means that words like "to" are used in other combos like "toward", "into", "today", etc.
Here's what you do. There are 19 screens to practice. Do each one with 100% accuracy. If you mess up, restart the screen and slow down. You'll probably notice that your fingers will hit certain letters out of order, or they will swap certain letters constantly (for example, hitting U when you mean to hit Y) this is absolutely 100% normal. Your procedural memory is still developing, so it's going to fight you at first with old, inefficient patterns.
Be hyper-aware of your form at this time. Your old form habits will try to come back out. If they do, stop and reset the screen. It will be frustrating, but it will absolutely work faster than anything.
Once you get to the end of that lesson with everything at 100% accuracy, try a 1 minute test. Go slowly, one word at a time. Log that speed and accuracy.
Then do Common English Words again. See if you can go two screens in a row without mistakes this time. Challenge yourself to go a little faster with each of those screens while still keeping 100%. Periodically check yourself on a 1 minute typing test. You'll see a huge difference within just a few days.
Keep it up!!!
If you have a bit to spend, for 75 bucks you can get an apple magic keyboard which besides laptop keyboards is a low-profile keyboard many top typists use.
Maybe you could reach even higher speed 150 WPM by playing www.Typerush.com
and then start to offer your services as freelancer in website like UPWORK.COM
Yes. Using the same hand for shift+letter is bad ergonomics and bad for touch typing technique. I even have Karabina Elements configured to block key presses where I'm holding the wrong shift key, so I don't fall into bad habits.
Just do it. Time is passing by anyway. Even if it takes a year. A year will pass anyway. And you will look back and realize that you made progress.
I like monkeytype to practice, but for the first steps I would recommend <https://www.typing.com>. But just use whatever you feel is best.
And you don't need to give up on the way you type all of a sudden. You can practice the ten-finger method and use your way whenever you need to, say, write an email. Over time you will drop the old way and type ten finger style only.
I had the same problem. I was also using three fingers to type and my speed was around 30-40wpm and did not seem to improve. So, I started this course in typing.com.
After this course was finished, I started doing typing tests on 10fastfingers, monkey-type and typings.gg, my speed seem to get worse than before but I kept consistent with the typing tests for about a month. Now, my speed is 50-60wpm.
Hope It Helps.
I went through the process of breaking my old habits and learning proper typing just two months ago. It was extremely frustrating and even resulted in rage on several occasions. It took me around two weeks to get to a point where I was more comfortable with proper technique than my old way. This was with at least a half hour of intentional practice daily, and forcing myself not to ever use the old way.
= Two months later, my speed is probably about the same as before. If anything, I gained only 10WPM. The biggest difference is that typing now feels more natural and is very pleasurable. Sometimes I sit around wishing I had more things to type because typing is so enjoyable for me now.
= Your experience will not likely be identical to anyone else's, but I would say that it's worth going through the process. Just be sure to do it right. Don't jump into typing tests trying and failing at the proper technique. It's imperative that you force yourself not to look at the keyboard ever! You will be missing the benefit of proper technique if you learn by looking down. Be sure to take your time learning which fingers press which keys (without looking at the keyboard), and then only when you can do all of the letters without looking, move onto typing tests for speed improvement.
= Based on my own experience, I recommend https://www.typing.com/ for teaching your fingers where each key is.
After that, http://www.keybr.com/ will help by targeting specific keys that you have trouble with, and drill you on direct practice with those. My profile on that site tells me I've clocked about 3.5 total hours of practice there, and I would say that it was worth every second.
That's ridiculous to me. I'm getting like 35-40 with around 95% accuracy.
Do you actually touch type with home row or anything? You just have your own method?
And got that fast by doing keybr?
This is the keyboard that I bought and it got quite a bit of attention at work as the letters aren't visible from above:
https://www.amazon.ca/Filco-Majestouch-Cherry-Mechanical-Keyboard/dp/B004Z0XR2O
I personally love the Microsoft 600 keyboard. https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Wired-Keyboard-600-Black/dp/B001OAR26K/ Pretty quiet and well spaced. Would recommend it for higher wpm and ergonomics if you haven't decided yet.
Hey, thats an excellent speed. Typing is one of many assets that will help you land a job. What really helped me was reading 'How to win friends and influence people' bu Dale Carnegie, and 'The $100 Startup' by Chris G.
I was offered a job at Hewlett Packard thanks to the wisdom I gained from those books.
-Brandon
Are you sure it's mechanical? What model/brand is it?
I have switch dampening o-rings on my K70 mechanical keyboard. These: https://www.amazon.com/Cherry-Rubber-Ring-Switch-Dampeners/dp/B00AZQ2OF8