Touch Typing Techniques

An advanced touch typist aims to reach a level known as ‘Blind Mastery’ where the keyboard no longer exists as a physical object, only a mental representation. In a 2-minute test, looking down at your fingers at any moment causes you to lose 250 milliseconds of focus. That’s 2 whole words worth of focus lost in that test. By focusing your eyes shot the screen, you complete a circuit of ‘seeing’ and ‘typing’ and facilitate a smooth and faster touch typing process.

Developing Proprioception

Proprioception refers to the brain’s ability to perceive the location of different body parts without the need to look. It is essential that when you are practicing touch typing, you create that spatial awareness for all the different keys that exist in the Remington format. Visualize focus being split in all directions and coming from your brain to each of the keys. During this exercise, even if you make mistakes, do not look down. You must utilize your touch to find the anchors on the Home Row (the bumps on F and J) and re-center your fingers.The Mental Keyboard Exercise

To strengthen your mental map of the keyboard, close your eyes and picture the keyboard. Where do the special characters lie? Do you know the space between the Home Row and the Number Row? The more you practice mental visualization of the keyboard, the more likely you will accurately hit the keys during the 2-minute test. Speed comes from confidence. Once you stop guessing where the key is, the more likely you will hit it with conviction.

The “No Look” Rule

By Lesson 34, you should be committed to the no look rule. You may find yourself completely lost, but keep your eyes on the screen. Generally, this will help you avoid the temptation to look and help you develop the mental “map” to deal with the error through physical sensation. This way, you will develop strong muscle memory, and be always prepared for the challenging government exams where the light is dim, or the screen is not face up.