7 ms·

Except when you look at videos of the world record level typists, they don't always type with 'proper' technique.

kemitchell 6y ago
I noticed fairly recently that I often, but not always, type the letter "P" with my ring finger, rather than my little (pinky) finger. I'm still not sure whether that's adaptive or wrong. Have you seen good resources on high-speed typing technique?
- MaxLeiter 6y ago
  Get an ergonomic (probably split) keyboard and use your thumb for modifier keys. It’s meant to rotate all around unlike our pinkies.
  - thom 6y ago
    I’ve been using a couple of split keyboards over the last year and it’s slowed me down because I can no longer cross over the keyboard to type a letter with either hand. This means you sometimes have to use the same finger twice in a row which always feels inefficient to me.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- colanderman 6y ago
  I don't think I use the pinky for any letter, only Enter and modifiers. Pinkies are weak. If you allow your forearm to move, rather than keeping your fingers in a "home" position, you do not need to use pinkies to reach letters.
- fireattack 6y ago
  I'm similar but worse, I basically type all the upper row with ring and middle finger only.
- desmap 6y ago
  It's wrong but the p is on a very hard position for the right pinky. FWIW, p was the last letter I got right as a touch typist. It's not that the pinky is a weak finger--it can be trained to a very good level--it's really more the position of the p.
  - thom 6y ago
    I’ve just moved p down a row on most of my keyboards.
Arainach 6y ago
Sprinting and marathon running have very different technique. Life (and a career involving computers) is a marathon, and that's what ergonomics is about.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- kkoncevicius 6y ago
  The idea that the "proper" touch typing technique is ergonomic is not unquestionable. I've read some forums about RSI and there were quite a few people stating they got RSI right at the time they started learning and using the proper touch-typing method. It makes sense too. Without formal training your hands will assume comfortable positions on the keyboard and the writing technique will evolve to suit your hand size and your movements. This should be more ergonomic compared to strict rules, developed for type-writers, where you have to press each key with the same finger every time, and where typical programming keys (brackets, colons) are left to the smallest finger.
  - Arainach 6y ago
    What is comfortable initially is not guaranteed (or even likely) to be repeatable thousands of times. Look at weight lifting - if you ask an untrained person to lift a barbell or heavy bag the way that "feels natural", they'll probably lift with their back or do something else that would cause major problems if done repeatedly over the long term.
colanderman 6y ago
I am a self-taught typist from a young age. I type very fast (140 WPM? I forget) but my technique is totally non standard. I hold my hands/wrists at "natural" angles (as one would on a split keyboard), but on a standard keyboard. No "home row" for me. The letters in the middle of the keyboard are liable to be typed by either hand, depending on the word: I cannot use a split keyboard because of this. Thumb helps out with lower row sometimes. I can type single-handedly without much difficulty. I credit this "technique" with not having developed any sort of keyboard-related RSI over 30 years of daily typing. Mice gave me terrible grip-related RSI after a decade (I now use a trackball), but not so with typing. I assume I'm not unique in having stumbled naturally on this method. But it's not something I've ever seen taught, probably because it's not very "orderly".
- klyrs 6y ago
  Interesting. I hold my left hand roughly on the home row, but like you, my right hand is at an odd angle. As a programmer, this seems very natural to me because I have rapid access to the brackets, parens, etc. without stretching my pinky. Coincidentally, I use a trackball too.
- userbinator 6y ago
  I'm pretty much the same as you --- the best description of my method would be "closest available finger". I can type at ~150WPM for long periods of time without any strain or tiredness, can reach 200+ in short bursts, and have done over 50WPM with only the left hand. However, one thing I've found that really affects typing speed and comfort is the key travel and actuation force; I think a "light, spongy, bouncy" feel is best. A light force reduces strain, sponginess is a good cushion, and the bounce helps speed up the return stroke. You can type a lot faster once you train yourself to not try to await any tactile feedback, but just "trust" that you've hit the keys and they've actuated.
  - dataflow 6y ago
    How in the world do you type 50WPM with just the left hand? Do you practice the right hand side of the keyboard with your left hand?
logbiscuitswave 6y ago
Right? I don’t really use all my fingers most of the time. It’s pretty unorthodox. I can easily get 120+ WPM with pretty good correctness. I’m self taught so I just picked up something that worked for me at a young age and ran with it. I can be insecure about it sometimes but since it works well enough for me I haven’t had much motivation to “fix” it.

I noticed fairly recently that I often, but not always, type the letter "P" with my ring finger, rather than my little (pinky) finger. I'm still not sure whether that's adaptive or wrong. Have you seen good resources on high-speed typing technique?

MaxLeiter 6y ago
Get an ergonomic (probably split) keyboard and use your thumb for modifier keys. It’s meant to rotate all around unlike our pinkies.
- thom 6y ago
  I’ve been using a couple of split keyboards over the last year and it’s slowed me down because I can no longer cross over the keyboard to type a letter with either hand. This means you sometimes have to use the same finger twice in a row which always feels inefficient to me.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
colanderman 6y ago
I don't think I use the pinky for any letter, only Enter and modifiers. Pinkies are weak. If you allow your forearm to move, rather than keeping your fingers in a "home" position, you do not need to use pinkies to reach letters.
fireattack 6y ago
I'm similar but worse, I basically type all the upper row with ring and middle finger only.
desmap 6y ago
It's wrong but the p is on a very hard position for the right pinky. FWIW, p was the last letter I got right as a touch typist. It's not that the pinky is a weak finger--it can be trained to a very good level--it's really more the position of the p.
- thom 6y ago
  I’ve just moved p down a row on most of my keyboards.

Arainach 6y ago

Sprinting and marathon running have very different technique. Life (and a career involving computers) is a marathon, and that's what ergonomics is about.

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
kkoncevicius 6y ago
The idea that the "proper" touch typing technique is ergonomic is not unquestionable. I've read some forums about RSI and there were quite a few people stating they got RSI right at the time they started learning and using the proper touch-typing method. It makes sense too. Without formal training your hands will assume comfortable positions on the keyboard and the writing technique will evolve to suit your hand size and your movements. This should be more ergonomic compared to strict rules, developed for type-writers, where you have to press each key with the same finger every time, and where typical programming keys (brackets, colons) are left to the smallest finger.
- Arainach 6y ago
  What is comfortable initially is not guaranteed (or even likely) to be repeatable thousands of times. Look at weight lifting - if you ask an untrained person to lift a barbell or heavy bag the way that "feels natural", they'll probably lift with their back or do something else that would cause major problems if done repeatedly over the long term.

colanderman 6y ago

I am a self-taught typist from a young age. I type very fast (140 WPM? I forget) but my technique is totally non standard. I hold my hands/wrists at "natural" angles (as one would on a split keyboard), but on a standard keyboard. No "home row" for me. The letters in the middle of the keyboard are liable to be typed by either hand, depending on the word: I cannot use a split keyboard because of this. Thumb helps out with lower row sometimes. I can type single-handedly without much difficulty. I credit this "technique" with not having developed any sort of keyboard-related RSI over 30 years of daily typing. Mice gave me terrible grip-related RSI after a decade (I now use a trackball), but not so with typing. I assume I'm not unique in having stumbled naturally on this method. But it's not something I've ever seen taught, probably because it's not very "orderly".

klyrs 6y ago
Interesting. I hold my left hand roughly on the home row, but like you, my right hand is at an odd angle. As a programmer, this seems very natural to me because I have rapid access to the brackets, parens, etc. without stretching my pinky. Coincidentally, I use a trackball too.
userbinator 6y ago
I'm pretty much the same as you --- the best description of my method would be "closest available finger". I can type at ~150WPM for long periods of time without any strain or tiredness, can reach 200+ in short bursts, and have done over 50WPM with only the left hand. However, one thing I've found that really affects typing speed and comfort is the key travel and actuation force; I think a "light, spongy, bouncy" feel is best. A light force reduces strain, sponginess is a good cushion, and the bounce helps speed up the return stroke. You can type a lot faster once you train yourself to not try to await any tactile feedback, but just "trust" that you've hit the keys and they've actuated.
- dataflow 6y ago
  How in the world do you type 50WPM with just the left hand? Do you practice the right hand side of the keyboard with your left hand?

logbiscuitswave 6y ago

Right? I don’t really use all my fingers most of the time. It’s pretty unorthodox. I can easily get 120+ WPM with pretty good correctness. I’m self taught so I just picked up something that worked for me at a young age and ran with it. I can be insecure about it sometimes but since it works well enough for me I haven’t had much motivation to “fix” it.