I am sharing what I did to learn touch typing. If you can stick with it for just three days, your productivity after that goes up a lot, so I recommend training it during a long break such as summer vacation.
A past tweet is here ↓
Three notes on touch typing
I was sure I could never do it before I retrained, but I picked it up in three days 🧑💻
I have not memorized the layout — it is a strange feeling; the body remembers 💪
Productivity drops while you retrain, but I think it pays back quickly. Try it over summer break! #WSSクラス図解#WSSクラス #デイトラ pic.twitter.com/67rqNIhvs9— しゅん@Web制作とWebアプリ (@webkida1) August 6, 2021
Picking a keyboard
A good keyboard matters. Laptop built-in keyboards often have little rebound, and they are compact, so you end up in a cramped posture. That makes touch typing hard, so picking a keyboard that is comfortable to use is important.
I recommend REALFORCE. There are many kinds, so you have to be careful how you choose, but I use the type below.
- Variable weighting: the feel changes per finger (the little finger is lighter)
- 91 keys, tenkeyless: a slim model
- Japanese layout
I actually own and use both the Mac and Windows versions, so I really do recommend them. The Windows one is a silent model, so the press feels a bit heavier. This is not only about keyboards — it matters to invest in desk-work gear without being stingy.
Stick to home position
Staying on home position lets you learn the layout by feel.
F and J have bumps. You put your left index finger and right index finger there, and you basically do not move from that. At first, staying on home position feels stressful, but doing so lets you feel the bumps on your skin and recognize the layout by sense.
Drill with e-typing
In the end it is all about drilling on e-typing.
Do 10 minutes as a warm-up at the start of work, and just put in the typing volume. Practicing a pattern you like and learning the layout through a pattern you are good at works well.
Takeaways
Honestly, if I had kept using a stock keyboard, I do not think I would have learned to type — the keyboard matters that much. Expensive things are expensive for a reason, so I think you should invest without holding back.
Before I learned it, I was sure I could never touch-type. If you keep going the way you do in driving school, the body remembers and you can do it. Productivity drops for a while while you retrain, so I recommend trying it during a long break.
I also cover other gear I like here.
【Gear】 What I actually bought for remote work and development