It's a Trap!
By justin0 - updated: 7 years, 10 months ago - 17 messages
I say it's a Trap!... Trying to type accurately is a trap. Why do I say that? Because if you just focus instead on typing as fast as you can, it won't matter how many mistakes you make, because each mistake helps you train your use of the backspace key, and that's a very useful skill, I promise.
And also if you type as fast as you can, then you will be training your fast muscle fibers in your hands and fingers more effectively than if you always focus just on accuracy.
I say this: learn to touch type (typing without looking), and if you can touch type already, then focus on your speed.
I know many people here, and everywhere, believe that focus on accuracy is the key to typing faster, and they're right, if you type more accurately, it is likely that you get a better speed result on a test, but, does that mean that it helps you increase your speed towards your target goal speed? (e.g. you type at 30 wpm and want to, one day, type at 100 wpm) I don't think so, I believe you have to focus on speed, but that's just my opinion, I can be wrong, be warned of that. Just wanted to share my "insight", lol!
I like what you're saying but I'm not sure there are many of us who will ever reach your speed huang even if we practice or something. The guy on the internet competition for typing to win like 2000$ or 10000$ or whatever the prize is only typed 167 to win the prize money for first place and you've clearly done that so...
By justin0 - posted: 7 years, 10 months ago
I'm sorry. I was wrong... Focusing only on speed worked just for a little while, after that I begin to make too many mistakes, and my hands feel a little stiff, and slow...
I wonder what the solution to this is, and what to focus on, speed or accuracy?
I was thinking maybe, in a way similar to what people that go to the gym do (they do "leg day"), " do "typing day" and type intensively that day and on the next day rest and type only the minimum necessary?
Ok, all the people who said to slow down a little bit to improve your accuracy, they are correct. It's just that I am a little impatient and want to type at 150 wpm already, and I'm always trying to find shortcuts (I think I said once that there are no shortcuts, but practice. And yet here I am trying to speed up my progress)
By gamanit - posted: 7 years, 10 months ago
Try to focus on accuracy. Speed comes with a lot of practice. Just try to type as accurately as you can and you will see your speed going up regardless. Also, don't check your speed until you're done taking the test. Knowing what your current speed is puts too much pressure on you and slows you down rather than the reverse. Good luck!
By justin0 - posted: 7 years, 10 months ago
gamanit: ok, I think I will focus on accuracy for a while (at least when typing quotes ;-) to see if I can keep improving. Thanks!
Based on the speed improvement over time that you've had, what speed do you expect to type at in the future, gamanit? and when?
Updated 7 years, 10 months ago
By geoffhuang - posted: 7 years, 10 months ago
"I was thinking maybe, in a way similar to what people that go to the gym do"
I think it is like people who go to the gym. The people who go to the gym are usually the ones who enjoy the workouts they're doing. The people who have to force themselves to go to the gym usually end up quitting.
If you enjoy a certain way of typing, or trying to type really fast, and that's what keeps you typing, then you will improve without noticing it just because you end up typing a lot.
By argiletonne - posted: 7 years, 10 months ago
I do not necessarily agree with you. 1. the type of keyboard you're using is important to your speed. 2. I think route memorization of the keyboard is most important and 3. I agree the use of the backspace key is important to speed 4. but mostly accuracy is only secondary to ones own ability to physically type the keys properly the first time.
My own accuracy is holding me back at times of most speed true, I admit my faults exist as do for many, in the typing game, but long before the speed of typing was the art of using the keyboard naturally.
By argiletonne - posted: 7 years, 10 months ago
I like what you're saying but I'm not sure there are many of us that will ever reach your level justin0
By argiletonne - posted: 7 years, 10 months ago
I like what you're saying but I'm not sure there are many of us who will ever reach your speed huang even if we practice or something. The guy on the internet competition for typing to win like 2000$ or 10000$ or whatever the prize is only typed 167 to win the prize money for first place and you've clearly done that so...
By geoffhuang - posted: 7 years, 10 months ago
If you are talking about Sean Wrona, that was because the typing test they gave him had a lot of special characters that would slow him down. If you pause at 4:07 in this video:
https://www.youtube… you can see a glimpse of the quote they gave him. I could maybe do that quote in 150 wpm.
(Sean Wrona actually has a profile on here:
https://www.keyhero…)
I know many people won't be able to type at that level, or even my level, but I still think anyone can learn to type 120+ wpm if they just typed a lot.
Updated 7 years, 10 months ago
By jackd - posted: 7 years, 10 months ago
"I believe my biggest advantage in typing is that I do not necessarily use the same finger to type the same key. I use whichever finger is most comfortable, which can vary based on the context of the letters in the word." - Sean Wrona
geoffhuang, do you also find yourself doing this?
By justin0 - posted: 7 years, 10 months ago
I like what you said geoffhuang because I had been typing daily, and doing hand exercises (opening and closing the fist fast, moving the fingers in the air,... ) doing different types of typing, and I was enjoying it. And I improved from 50-60 wpm to 60-70 wpm.
But then this last week I wanted to improve faster and started to train intensively and I stopped enjoying it; pushed myself a bit too much and as a result my wpm dropped again. So there you go, maybe the key is to enjoy it and not overdo it.
argiletonne: yeah I agree with what you say.
"I like what you're saying but I'm not sure there are many of us that will ever reach your level justin0"... Oh really? Great!.... Wait, I think you mean geoffhuang.....
geoffhuang: Sean Wrona has the text he typed on that contest, posted on his website,
so, I made custom text tests here with those texts:
https://www.keyhero…https://www.keyhero…
Updated 7 years, 10 months ago
By geoffhuang - posted: 7 years, 10 months ago
Yes, but not until I mastered standard fingering.
An example is when I use my left index finger to type the "y" in "anyone", instead of my right index finger.
Keep in mind that doing something like typing periods with your right index finger isn't a good use of Sean's tip. Doing things like this will only slow you down in the long run.
Updated 7 years, 10 months ago
By argiletonne - posted: 7 years, 10 months ago
y with the left finger interesting. I've always used my left thumb to hit the space bar and I never use my right maybe that's what's slowing me down not being able to alternate based on the usage of the other hand but I'm right handed, it's just how I learned.
By geoffhuang - posted: 7 years, 10 months ago
I use my right index finger for y on other words. I only use my left index finger for specific words like "anyone".
I hit space bar with my right thumb, I've never though about hitting it with my left thumb.
I know Sean Wrona uses the caps lock key instead of shift.
Updated 7 years, 10 months ago
By jackd - posted: 7 years, 10 months ago
I also hit space bar with my right thumb. I've tried alternating between my left and right thumb, but it just slowed me down. I don't think alternating offers much improvements, although it might shave off a few milliseconds on the time it takes you to hit the space bar depending on which thumb is closest to it at any given time, it takes a while to get used to, precious time that is better spent working on accuracy and speed which will result in more meaningful improvements.
By nateejamess - posted: 7 years, 10 months ago
I always use my right hand thumb for the space bar and i use my left hand for the y key.
My advice is learn where the keys are before you work on speed. In a way, speed slows you down when you make too many mistakes.
Muscle Memory is a life saver. Every person I have taught to type I told them to learn where all the keys and fingerings for them go before you start typing fast.
By shahran93 - posted: 7 years, 10 months ago
You weren't totally wrong though. However you should follow this strategy (increasing typing speed ignoring mistakes) until you reach 50/60 wpm, then you focus on typing without errors keeping your speed constant. Because in real life you will be typing either from another writing (or dictation) or from your head. So you don't get to know immediately when you make a mistake or even if you do, you don't have enough time to go back and correct them. It decreases your efficiency or compromises your speed.
TL;DR: Ignore mistakes until you reach 60 WPM, then focus on typing without errors, you'll see your WPM increasing without much effort. Good luck :)
By justin0 - posted: 7 years, 10 months ago
Yeah, I agree that the faster you type, the more expensive it is to make mistakes (because you keep typing until you realize you've made a mistake).
Also I think the main mistake I did was overdoing it, then you have to wait until your muscles recover (I don't know, 3 days maybe, same like when you go to the gym for the first time, is what, 3 days?) Anyway, I'll keep experimenting. Right now, I'm experimenting by typing words that use only one hand many times –e.g. in qwerty: wart, poly, ...– in order to exercise the muscles, I also keep doing exercises like closing and opening the fist as fast as possible –I do believe in those–, just copying texts on a text editor,...
Updated 7 years, 10 months ago
