[MiddayNap]

I've always struggled with typing and am quite certain this flaw is making employment even more difficult to obtain. I need to better my typing, but my fumbley fingers make it extremely difficult. Firstly, I must look at the keyboard as I type, otherwise my fingers go all over the place. It is sort of like looking at the keys keeps my finger-movements in check. Secondly, it is difficult to type with both hands at once, though admittedly less so now because I've been practicing. It is also difficult to type with just one hand as well, though not as much and especially my right hand. My left hand can actually type alright, though I only use two fingers. I know typing with more than two fingers would help, but it simply seems as though I can't properly control all those appendages at once, oddly enough. I can't type using the "proper" method, as it causes my finger movements to be awkward, unbearably slow, and I end up making typos despite looking at the keyboard because my fingers are so very fumbley! My brain and hands get confused.

Herein lays a rant; feel free to skip if you so desire:

All the other stuff my fumbley-fingers effected weren't all that important and so I had no reason to worry over them. I can't style my hair, but I can use a brush and that's good enough for me. I can't put on make-up without smearing it all over everything and knocking everything over, but I don't mind not wearing it. Shoe-tying, you say? If it weren't for the fact that my brother had to develop an easier way of tying shoes due to his cerebral palsy, would be wearing nothing but slip-ons and velcro. It is a miracle my pictures don't look to be drawn by an infant. It did cause some difficulty in retail, however, as I would constantly throw things(accidentally, of course) on the floor when I wanted to bag them. I had to bag things very carefully and slowly, which caused my manager to be a bit annoyed.

The rant has ended, truly your patience has endured.

My question is this: Are there any who exhibit these difficulties and, if so, are you aware of a method by which we fumbley-fingered people can better our typing skills? It seems all typing software and online tutoring applications I've come across are geared towards people who don't have this issue. It is not that I am upset by this fact, it is just a bit frustrating because I know they don't help me no matter how diligently I practice with them.

I would at least like to be able to type at a normal pace without my brain freaking out.

Thank you for this. The only class I ever failed in high school was typing. I find texting a nightmare. A post of any length, such as the one you've typed above could take me as long as 20 minutes. Like you, my fumbliness doesn't detract too much in other areas of life, but no matter how much I practice, I've accepted I'll never type with any employable speed or accuracy . I'm a whiz with a numeric keypad though.

I can touch type letters, and the full stop and comma other commonly used forms of punctuation, but anything else I must look at the keyboard.

My eyes are very slow to focus on things, and I have an astigmatism, not sure if they're connected to the poor typing.

I'll be interested to see if anyone knows of a solution to this problem. Thanks for the topic.

[IchbinkeinTeufel]

Hello there.

I've been typing since I was a kid, right from using an Acorn RISC operating system in primary school. The first thing my teach taught me? Use the fingers on both hands when you type.

You will be slow. You will be clumsy. It will feel awkward. But... you certainly should get better! It does just take practice and patience. I was a pretty good typist, but once I got into touch typing, I started getting much better, getting WPM of 90+ but it took some practice. How did I do it? Games! I used a method called "gamification", which is just a silly way to say that I played a game for an educational gain.

Google for typing games. It'll make the world of difference, because not only will you train your fingers and mind to remember where things are, but you'll also hopefully have some fun in the process. I know I sure did.

Now I touch type well, and fairly accurately, and recently did a test that showed I managed 92WPM; it's not crazy high, but considering I can no longer touch type the "proper" way due to a nasty 5th metacarpel break which rendered my little finger kinda useless, I think I do okay. xD I've no doubt I type quicker when I type naturally from thoughts in my mind. I had to work my way back up to the 90s again, but it was worth it. I type regularly, pretty much daily.

I dunno whether this site is any good, but it looks intriguing: http://www.typingtest.com/games/typing-attack/

Don't give up! You need daily practice. Make typing part of everything you do on the computer. Type a diary. Type on forums. Type on Skype or any other IM client. Best of luck to you.

[IchbinkeinTeufel]

I'm 30 years old. xD If the problem is effectively struggling to learn to type, I'm familiar with it because I had to learn myself, and in a way, twice. I saw my dad (aged 57, I believe) struggling to learn to type, but he's now getting there gradually, which isn't bad for someone with big fingers, arthritus, and two numb fingers. xD I appreciate that it's difficult to learn to type when you've not grown up with computers, but I don't think that means you can't learn, and people like my dad show that it's possible. He didn't get into computers until perhaps earnly 40s.

I learned by having my hands covered so I couldn't see them. I was once pretty good but I think medication has dumbed my thinking and my fingers at times don't seem under control.

[IchbinkeinTeufel]

If that's to me, BT, I do yes. I also used a type writer when I was a kid. QWERTY was a revised layout that was used to ... do something I can't remember, possibly to prevent keys getting locked up... I think that was it. Anyway, good luck to you both.

no matter how much I practice, I've accepted I'll never type with any employable speed or accuracy

I never read this post as I was replying to the OP, but I have now. My belief here is that if practicing in one way yields low or no results, a revision of the method by which you're practicing may be a good idea. Of course, it may just be that, for whatever reason, typing isn't for you, which sucks, but I personally wouldn't give up just yet.

[MiddayNap]

Originally Posted by Bea Tiscuit

Thank you for this. The only class I ever failed in high school was typing. I find texting a nightmare. A post of any length, such as the one you've typed above could take me as long as 20 minutes. Like you, my fumbliness doesn't detract too much in other areas of life, but no matter how much I practice, I've accepted I'll never type with any employable speed or accuracy . I'm a whiz with a numeric keypad though.

I can touch type letters, and the full stop and comma other commonly used forms of punctuation, but anything else I must look at the keyboard.

My eyes are very slow to focus on things, and I have an astigmatism, not sure if they're connected to the poor typing.

I'll be interested to see if anyone knows of a solution to this problem. Thanks for the topic.

I envy your ability to type proficiently with numeric keypad, as I am even worse at that than typing letters. When at a trade school not too long ago, I had to take a typing class and upon seeing my score for the numeric keypad
segment, my instructor looked at me in utter disbelief. Bah, such is life.

My eyes will sometimes refuse to focus as well, and will often lose their place upon a page or screen, in this case. I am sure that affects typing negatively, and so assume it does in your case as well.
Might I ask what "touch typing" means? I assume you must touch all keys to type with them. I am imagining a sort of braille keyboard.

[TehSmokeyMan]

Well, the first time I started to type seriously (what we Dutch call "blind typing", which I'm assuming is "touch typing") I looked where my hands rest on the keyboard...

Being a gamer, my left hand rests on [w], [a], [s], [d] and [shift], so I started from that and my knowledge of the keyboard...

I don't type anything near "fast", let alone at reasonable speed when I'm not constantly looking down at my keyboard. I typed this while forcing myself to not look down at the keyboard, and, Well I gave up...

I've been working as a customer service rep, administrative worker, IT tech, programmer and had a couple of other jobs involving a lot of typing while I really can't type at a professional level...

Don't let it stop you... And just keep practicing (the reason my "blind typing" is so bad is because I only tried it like three times )... Even little bits of progress are progress...

[MiddayNap]

Originally Posted by IchbinkeinTeufel

Hello there.

I've been typing since I was a kid, right from using an Acorn RISC operating system in primary school. The first thing my teach taught me? Use the fingers on both hands when you type.

You will be slow. You will be clumsy. It will feel awkward. But... you certainly should get better! It does just take practice and patience. I was a pretty good typist, but once I got into touch typing, I started getting much better, getting WPM of 90+ but it took some practice. How did I do it? Games! I used a method called "gamification", which is just a silly way to say that I played a game for an educational gain.

Google for typing games. It'll make the world of difference, because not only will you train your fingers and mind to remember where things are, but you'll also hopefully have some fun in the process. I know I sure did.

Now I touch type well, and fairly accurately, and recently did a test that showed I managed 92WPM; it's not crazy high, but considering I can no longer touch type the "proper" way due to a nasty 5th metacarpel break which rendered my little finger kinda useless, I think I do okay. xD I've no doubt I type quicker when I type naturally from thoughts in my mind. I had to work my way back up to the 90s again, but it was worth it. I type regularly, pretty much daily.

I dunno whether this site is any good, but it looks intriguing: http://www.typingtest.com/games/typing-attack/

Don't give up! You need daily practice. Make typing part of everything you do on the computer. Type a diary. Type on forums. Type on Skype or any other IM client. Best of luck to you.

I appreciate your detailed response. I do, in fact, practice daily and have done so for years. I enjoy writing and must type my stories because my handwriting is quite illegible sometimes. Not to mention I do budgeting and grocery lists on excel, which of course utilizes typing. I have tried "typing games". That is the method they employed throughout school. Everyone always tells me "practice makes perfect" and that my hands will be "awkward at first". "You will get faster with practice". I have been practicing for....a little over 10 years now, I suppose? It is a wee bit frustrating practicing and practicing and never getting any better, but I will continue doing so.
I hope I didn't seem bitter, as I do appreciate the encouragement.

[MiddayNap]

Originally Posted by TehSmokeyMan

Well, the first time I started to type seriously (what we Dutch call "blind typing", which I'm assuming is "touch typing") I looked where my hands rest on the keyboard...

Being a gamer, my left hand rests on [w], [a], [s], [d] and [shift], so I started from that and my knowledge of the keyboard...

I don't type anything near "fast", let alone at reasonable speed when I'm not constantly looking down at my keyboard. I typed this while forcing myself to not look down at the keyboard, and, Well I gave up...

I've been working as a customer service rep, administrative worker, IT tech, programmer and had a couple of other jobs involving a lot of typing while I really can't type at a professional level...

Don't let it stop you... And just keep practicing (the reason my "blind typing" is so bad is because I only tried it like three times )... Even little bits of progress are progress...

This is rather encouraging, as I feel I would be most comfortable working in administration, but haven't had much hope due to my typing skills. I will continue to practice.
"Blind typing" is a perfectly understandable term and, because of it, I can now assume the meaning of "touch typing". The term "touch typing" makes no sense whatever.

[MiddayNap]

Originally Posted by justafriend306

I learned by having my hands covered so I couldn't see them. I was once pretty good but I think medication has dumbed my thinking and my fingers at times don't seem under control.

Didn't the covering upon your hands distract you?

[IchbinkeinTeufel]

Dang, 10 years... :/ Sorry, didn't realise it had gotten to that point. Although it takes time, I'm sure most would see substantial improvements and it sounds like you have the right mindset and are doing the right things. I'm not sure why it's not working out.

[Yoda]

When my son was nine years old I got him Mavis Beacon typing software. He types 90-100 wpm; I only can type 40 wpm and less if there are numbers.

Here is a free download. Mavis Beacon Free

[IchbinkeinTeufel]

Originally Posted by Yoda

When my son was nine years old I got him Mavis Beacon typing software. He types 90-100 wpm; I only can type 40 wpm and less if there are numbers.

Here is a free download. Mavis Beacon Free

Fascinating. I'm downloading it now. Thanks for this. It might help my dad as well. I scanned it with Kaspersky Internet Security and found no viruses. I ran it and found it to be a pretty solid bit of software! It might even help me with my messed up hand, but I'll probably just never type how I used to. Hope it helps the OP too!