Most typists encounter a ‘Plateau’ where growth is halted despite repeated practice. This is extremely common in the 2 minute category where 30 or 35 WPM is the maximum limit for weeks. At this point in the process of typing, the only viable option for improvement is changing your practice to be more efficient rather than just putting in more time. The typist is not lacking in effort; rather the current set of tools or typing algorithm has reached what most consider maximum productivity for what is currently in place.

Myelination of Neurons in Skill Acquisition

When you learn a new motor skill the brain starts to develop a fatty sheathe called myelin around the neural pathways. This increases the signal speed of the neural pathways. In most cases, this is the explanation for achieving a plateau in your speed. Usually, the brain is in the process of wrapping a set of movements in myelin. In striving to achieve an additional improvement, the brain simply requires a stimulus. Always practice 2-minute tests, try switching to 30-second ‘hyper Sprint’ tests where you simply move your fingers as rapidly as possible, as a separate stimulus. Always practice tests for almost no time accuracy. This is the break you need. Then, return to your 2 minute tests and ‘control’ your accuracy for what is most likely your new speed.

The Paradox of Smoothness and Speed

It may sound strange, but one of the most effective ways to improve your typing speed may be to type more slowly. If you are stuck at typing 35 words per minute with 5 mistakes, your brain is learning the mistakes just as much as the speed. Spend this 2-minute session trying to type at 25 WPM but with absolute perfection. Focus on making your fingers move as elegantly as possible. If you get rid of the stuttering from your mistakes and from hesitating, your speed will likely go up to 40 WPM in just a couple of days. The key to increasing your speed is getting into a habit of typing smoothly.

The Reason for Stagnation in Results and Injury

There is a very good chance that stagnation might be caused by one or two weak fingers which are usually the pinky or the ring finger. If these fingers are taking 0.5 seconds longer to reach their keys than the index fingers of the same hand, your WPM is being dragged down as much as possibly 12 words. The ideal exercise to challenge that finger is lesson 29. It will allow you to find out which hand or row of the keyboard is the one that is being slowed down. For example, are you less proficient when typing the characters on the very top row of the keyboard? Is your left hand less responsive than your right? Pick out those isolated movements and try to practice them as much as you can until their speed is at the same level as that of your dominant fingers.