Increase typing speed and accuracy ?

[JimmyCT]

How did all of you learn to increase your typing speed and accuracy? I looked around on the web and some of the websites have horrible teaching methods. Type F F F F F F F F a gazillion times. Now type d d d d d three million times lol Any tips / secrets / free or cheap REAL programs? What worked best for you? How long of a process (months / years etc) before you saw a noticeable increase in speed and accuracy? I have always been a hen and peck type and do rather well but I feel it is time to change all that. Where do I start? Thanks - Jim

 

[mudpuppy]

"Hey Mister, how do you get to Carnegie Hall?" Practice, Practice, Practice!

I took a typing class in High school (1976) just to be with the girls you know funny thing, that old school keyboard work "asdf jkl;" repetitive practice WITHOUT looking at the keys and only what you are typing makes for some fast work! Sort of like hunting by tones actually, super quick if you dont have to rely on your eyes to process the info they are seeing and go by feel...thats how, practice without looking at the keys.
Mud

 

[JimmyCT]

Thanks Mud I believe that is what I will do. That is what one of my relatives was just explaining to me as well. They explained to me to memorize the middle keys and nothing else. My relative continued, "my brain just knows right where to go" Maybe that is my whole problem lol

"Hey Mister, how do you get to Carnegie Hall?" Practice, Practice, Practice!

I took a typing class in High school (1976) just to be with the girls you know funny thing, that old school keyboard work "asdf jkl;" repetitive practice WITHOUT looking at the keys and only what you are typing makes for some fast work! Sort of like hunting by tones actually, super quick if you dont have to rely on your eyes to process the info they are seeing and go by feel...thats how, practice without looking at the keys.
Mud

 

[Bones]

Jim.
Give the Mavis Bacon CD a try. Its a learning process with some little tests while your doing it. Not completely boring and will help you learn.
Good luck Bones

 

[WIHawker]

Computer gaming is where I learned to type. Comunicating with your teammates in a hurry is a must.

 

[GeorgeinSC]

I took half a year of typing in High School. That was back in 1959. Had planned on taking the entire year but two young ladies transferred to our school half way thru the year and the teacher threw us two guys out of the class to make room for the girls. Her statement was that "Girls needed to learn to type and Boys do not". No one dared disagree with her decisions. I thought that she was an "Old Maid" and did not learn differently until a few years ago when she passed away. Her Obit listed a husband and children. Blew my mind and the same to some of my class mates.

After I high school I joined the Navy and they put me in communications where I had to do considerable typing for the next 20 years.

Practice, Practice, Practice is the only way for one to gain any proficiency and speed. After time your fingers just go to where they are supposed to go as the words go thru your head.

Good Luck

 

[JimmyCT]

Thanks guys for the ideas. I am so use to typing by hen pecking the keys lol Time to utilize all my fat fingers. Thanks George for your inspiring story. Time to get crackin'

 

[Johnoldman]

The most important thing is practice. Nothing wrong with that. Here is a useful material about it http://www.ratatype.com/learn/

 

[ironsight]

Never had any formal typing classes. I learned the hard way, sink or swim way, pay the bills or go broke way....on the job writing code, reports, proposals, etc.
After a while its instinctual (is that a word?).

Now spelling and hitting the q, z and x keys without looking is still sometimes a work in progress!