Typing with 2 Fingers

By aldori15 - updated: 6 years, 6 months ago - 8 messages

My average is 96 WPM with 98% accuracy and I only type with two fingers (Index finger on my left hand and Middle finger on my right hand).

I have been typing for a total of 10 years now. I began typing by learning the keyboard with two fingers. I took a typing class back in middle school, by this point I had already been typing for a year or so, and the teacher tried his damnedest to get me to type the "proper" way and proceeded to tell me that I would not make it through the class. Halfway through the semester, he was really shocked with how well I had performed and let me continue with the way I was doing it.

Let's fast forward 8 years. Between this time period there has been many people that have tried to change the way that I type, but it is just so hard for me. I have been typing like this for 10 years and I have the muscle memory built up.

I also recorded a 1:00 typing test and uploaded it last month. Please see the link below if you're interested.

https://www.faceboo…
By jdcunningham09 - posted: 6 years, 7 months ago

I'm with you man. I don't type with two fingers, but I definitely don't type the proper way either, and my WPM and accuracy is about on par with yours. I never learned the proper way. I just use my pointer and middle fingers (so basically, I use four fingers), and let them go where they will. The term "home row" is absolutely meaningless to me, as my "home row" is simply wherever the first letter is on the keyboard. It tends to be wicked fast, incredibly fluid, more accurate due to less required fingers, and whenever I even try and adopt the proper way, it feels like wading through molasses, and I start to understand why someone people can't seem to increase their WPM beyond like 50-60.

Basically, if you developed a way that works fine for you, don't let people dissuade you. Who cares, anyway? As long as you can type, you can type.
By chaoticwolf - posted: 6 years, 7 months ago

I've also been typing for almost 10 years now, I'm 14 and I've been typing for a while now, and the highest WPM I've ever gotten was around 120, I use certain fingers for certain buttons
Updated 6 years, 7 months ago
By user282294 - posted: 6 years, 7 months ago

That is impressive, but just imagine if instead of having two fingers you had 10 (or more like 9 since both thumbs are basically doing the same thing, and now that I think about it I never use my left thumb), or better yet, get into stenography and leave behind those puny 100wpm scores.

Ok, so troll aside, I think typing the "proper way" isn't so much about speed but about less finger and wrist fatigue, if you're using just two fingers then your hands must be flying all over the keyboard, wich puts a lot of strain on the wrists.
Speed is nice, but unless you spend your day copying text, typing from dictation or are an awesomely inspired writer, i'd say 60-70 wpm should be quite sufficient to keep up with your thought process.
Also it is kind of nice to develop more dexterity and muscle in your other fingers, you'd be supprised how usefull it is to have 10 strong dextrous fingers always available.
Basically it come down to what is scientifically proven to be more efficient in the long run as opposed to what works best for you currently. That's why I decided to switch to Dvorak not too long ago, it was painfull at first, but it's just so obviously better when you think about that I feel it's well worth the effort.
By user282294 - posted: 6 years, 7 months ago

Lol, that would mean you started typing when you were 4~6 years old ? Obviously you wouldn't use the proper finger placement since at that age your hands are nowhere big enough for those finger positions to make any sense.
Now you might want to look in to trying to use the proper fingering with your near-adult sized 14yo hands, as the main point is to reduce muscle tension and avoid potential issues later on. At 14 muscle tension is not of much concern, but has you get older and your muscles and tendons get thicker, stronger and less flexible, things could start turning sour.
So it might be a good idea to learn the efficient way (why not go for broke and try Colemak or Dvorak) which will definitely pay out in the long run wich in your case truly makes sense.
By seally - posted: 6 years, 7 months ago

I think the point of having proper form is not really speed, but its something more along the lines of "Moving the least"
At least, thats my opinion on why its valuable to learn proper touchtyping form. Ergonomics, and if you type all day, you'll understand how important a minimizing movement of the wrist, and hand is. Of course other things, other than just using all your fingers, are very important. I don't rest my hand on the table when I type, but before I did. After I corrected my posture, I felt I could type for longer periods of time.
By user426356 - posted: 6 years, 6 months ago

>it feels like wading through molasses,
Well of course it will be harder if you don't practice but at some point you felt like wading through molasses with your current typing method. An advantage of touch typing is that you can reach wpms not possible without proper keystrokes.
By kawaiicat - posted: 6 years, 6 months ago

Dang. I type with all my fingers and mostly use 2 fingers. My WPM is not as high as yours.
By vidity - posted: 6 years, 6 months ago

If it works it works my man, typing isn't exactly set into using an exact amount of fingers, though there is a preferred number by teachers, you type the way you type. I myself type most of my characters with just two pointer fingers and middle fingers.
Tldr; Don't fix what 'aint broken.