Is 10-finger-typing so much faster?

[Zingzang]

Hello community!
Please excuse me for my horrible English. I hope you can understand me at least.

I am typing now with 6 Fingers. I type with Index- middle- and ring finger. I use the pinkie of the left hand only for pressing shift. I'm typing with ~85 words per minute. I look always on the text I want to type and not on the keyboard *proud*. Usually I make 2-5 mistakes.

And yesterday I started learning 10-finger-typing. It's quite horrible to keep my hands calm that they not flying over the keyboard from letter to letter.

My question is actually: Is it really necessary to learn 10-finger-typing, if I want to type with over 100 words per minute? How do you type? Is it a kind of freestyle or really strict that every singel finger has got its own place? And what do you think how long it takes till I could break my record of 90 words per minute with 10-finger-typing?

Some information: I am 16 years old, from Germany and I use a cool looking logitech keyboard (qwertz-keyboard, in Germany z and y are switched). I try to learn 10-finger-typing with TIPP10, a german freeware (I learn since yesterday ).


Greetings from Germany
Zingzang

[jallis]

At your speed, you don't really need to learn it unless you have plans to get a job where you type a lot. It will make you faster, since you don't have to move as much (even if it doesn't feel like it right now, when you're just starting.)

As you may have read on some other posts (yeah, I know I mention it a lot ) I switched to homerow a couple of months ago. At that time, my peak was at around 70-80 wpm (with the old method), and now I've finally reached over 100. I used to type with six fingers, much like you, and at first it felt awful. Eventually it started feeling kinda natural, and now I don't even understand how I could bare typing like I did.

I would recommend you switching, if you have the time. Just keep in mind that before you start accelerating in speed, you have to get used to type with homerow method (if that's how you type). The reason for this is that if you start going up in speed any earlier, you will eventually go back to the method you were using before. Remember that your speed will not increase as much as it could if you practice the incorrect way.

Another thing I want to mention is that you do not need to get a typing software (atleast not one that costs money). If you already have one, that's fine, but it's not needed. I taught myself how to type with homerow all by myself, just using tutorials on youtube and searching good tips on how to do this.

Something else that you have to remember is that you must never look at your keyboard when you type (even if it might feel like it's gonna help.)

My speed increases with about 10 wpm every 2 weeks or so it seems. I can not say this as a fact, nor that you will increase at the same speed (because I don't know how many tests you do every day and such) but I can say that if you practice enough and correctly, your speed will increase at about the same rate.

Also, I feel that while we're waiting for the practice mode to be completed, you should take some races over at typeracer, because they have some more complex words and texts, and more a more natural way of typing (since they use real texts). Or, you could take some advanced tests. They are also good. Just make sure you don't take the same test over and over again. Because while you may improve on that test, you will not improve on other words to quickly, and therefore you will not benefit as much as you could in real life typing.

These are my tips and opinions. Keep that in mind when you make any decisions based on this text.

[LARSSS]

I am using 8 fingers (not using right thumb and right pinky) and my current record is 162 WPM. I don't know if there are good typists typing with 10 fingers.. only 1 thumb for the spacebar right, and I have no idea why I do use my left pinkie and not my right... maybe because of the " ; " at the home row at the right side of QWERTY ?

Just type how you feel comfortable, and it is not necessary to get over 100 WPM unless you want a job with typing. 85 WPM is very nice in real life I guess

[RikiTiki]

Yes, it is. Specially, you can realize it, when you`re typing a lot. But it`s really hard to learn. I used 2 start by kids flash game 4 10-finger-typing, cuz I was realy bad If must look over keyboard or dont know fingers/buttons combinations, it`d be userfull 4 u 2. Link:
http://idancemattyping.net/dance-mat-typing-stage-12/
P.S. Its link 4 lvl1. U can feel free to try any others

[toddhicks209]

I think it's best to use all fingers. Use your thumbs to hit the space bar, use your pinkie fingers to hit the periphery keys and use your other fingers to hit the other keys.

[2014]

I type very similar to you, and I can not change my bad habit.
Though, I've sent Linsk a PM and got this as answer:

Yes, you should start from scratch. But if this is too much at once, you can do it gradually, you don't necessarily have to use all your fingers right now.

Keep typing as usual but add only one finger at a time, starting with your left or right middle finger. You have to get used to using this new finger. Then you can add the other middle finger. After you can add the left or right ring finger and so on until you use all your fingers.

Actually, 10 fingers typing is quite easy and can be approached in a few minutes. But the great difficulty for someone who types already fast with only a few fingers is to forget how fast he typed before, to accept this very slow speed at the beginning and to maintain efforts over time.

You have to put you in the shoes of someone who discovers typing and who has everything to gain. Stay focused on small goals, such as steps of 5 WPM.

I have tried, tried and tried. But I don't have the patient to change my habit. Therefore, I just use the "bad" method. I have a friend of mine who also type like me, with a bad habit. But he somehow has a very good skill of typing fast with a "bad habit"-method. (If it motivates you somehow, then FYI: this friend of mine has a wpm of 280 with bad habit typing on typeracer.com and approx. 190wpm on 10fastfingers.)

Short conclusion: I don't really think typing with less fingers matters, if you want to compete in a type competition..use whatever method you want, even though you don't use all 10 fingers. If it feels comfortable, then stick with it.

Good luck anyway buddy!

[william2070]

I think it's best to use all fingers. Use your thumbs to hit the space bar, use your pinkie fingers to hit the periphery keys and use your other fingers to hit the other keys. It could just be an accident, I am not sure, but if it was an accident, then I would know because it is not as common as they think. When I am typing and want to follow the page and the rules, it will not work. That was the reason that I originally came up with this idea and wanted to post about it here to let others know.

I'm also guilty of having bad habits when typing. When I'm doing really fast typing I tend to avoid using my left pinkie because I make more mistakes doing so. I sacrifice a little time but my overall speed is better. You're right though that it's best using all fingers I still feel more natural typing using just 8 fingers. I aim to learn 10finger typing but I find it too difficult to make the change. Is there a particular technique that can quickly correct this bad habit? Thanks in advance.

[toddhicks209]

If you really want to change, you must become comfortable doing it. You should soon break bad habits and always use the proper techniques subconsciously.

[Mehdifellawh]

I type very similar to you, and I can not change my bad habit.
Though, I've sent Linsk a PM and got this as answer:

Yes, you should start from scratch. But if this is too much at once, you can do it gradually, you don't necessarily have to use all your fingers right now.

Keep typing as usual but add only one finger at a time, starting with your left or right middle finger. You have to get used to using this new finger. Then you can add the other middle finger. After you can add the left or right ring finger and so on until you use all your fingers.

Actually, 10 fingers typing is quite easy and can be approached in a few minutes. But the great difficulty for someone who types already fast with only a few fingers is to forget how fast he typed before, to accept this very slow speed at the beginning and to maintain efforts over time.

You have to put you in the shoes of someone who discovers typing and who has everything to gain. Stay focused on small goals, such as steps of 5 WPM.

I have tried, tried and tried. But I don't have the patient to change my habit. Therefore, I just use the "bad" method. I have a friend of mine who also type like me, with a bad habit. But he somehow has a very good skill of typing fast with a "bad habit"-method. (If it motivates you somehow, then FYI: this friend of mine has a wpm of 280 with bad habit typing on typeracer.com and approx. 190wpm on 10fastfingers.)

Short conclusion: I don't really think typing with less fingers matters, if you want to compete in a type competition..use whatever method you want, even though you don't use all 10 fingers. If it feels comfortable, then stick with it.

Good luck anyway buddy!

280 wpm with bad habit typing ? How is that possible

[2014]

I type very similar to you, and I can not change my bad habit.
Though, I've sent Linsk a PM and got this as answer:

Yes, you should start from scratch. But if this is too much at once, you can do it gradually, you don't necessarily have to use all your fingers right now.

Keep typing as usual but add only one finger at a time, starting with your left or right middle finger. You have to get used to using this new finger. Then you can add the other middle finger. After you can add the left or right ring finger and so on until you use all your fingers.

Actually, 10 fingers typing is quite easy and can be approached in a few minutes. But the great difficulty for someone who types already fast with only a few fingers is to forget how fast he typed before, to accept this very slow speed at the beginning and to maintain efforts over time.

You have to put you in the shoes of someone who discovers typing and who has everything to gain. Stay focused on small goals, such as steps of 5 WPM.

I have tried, tried and tried. But I don't have the patient to change my habit. Therefore, I just use the "bad" method. I have a friend of mine who also type like me, with a bad habit. But he somehow has a very good skill of typing fast with a "bad habit"-method. (If it motivates you somehow, then FYI: this friend of mine has a wpm of 280 with bad habit typing on typeracer.com and approx. 190wpm on 10fastfingers.)

Short conclusion: I don't really think typing with less fingers matters, if you want to compete in a type competition..use whatever method you want, even though you don't use all 10 fingers. If it feels comfortable, then stick with it.

Good luck anyway buddy!

280 wpm with bad habit typing ? How is that possible

From others perspective, it is considered as wrong. But what is right and what is wrong anyway? I've talked about his habit before with him, but as long as he keeps on getting high scores, he doesn't care about his habit. His bad habit which results a good and high wpm - gives him the motivation to continue the way he is typing. Therefore, bad habit, good score.

By the way, I think that he got 280 wpm from a short text on typeracer.com. I doubt he'd reach that high wpm on a long text.