I've recently been addicted to http://play.typeracer.com/ which is basically a typing trainer (and it also measures your WPM, compared to random other players). Anyways, I just noticed that I use my left hand to enter commands from the B key to the left, while I use my right index finger to hunt keys from N over. I'm assuming that this is because my left hand is much more dominant and used to the keyboard than my right hand from Starcraft, although I'm not really sure. Anyways, my average WPM is 90, which I know is pretty high but it's not as high as I would like it to be.

Anyone else have this weird left hand dominance while typing? Would I be faster if I learned proper hand positioning on the keyboard?

EDIT - Right handed

susySquark

United States1692 Posts

November 27 2010 09:54 GMT

I'm a lefty, so I naturally use things more with my left hand. I only hit space with my left hand, I only use the left shift and ctrl and alt. Its probably non-optimal, but I can type around 110 WPM so I'm probably doing fine :D

Well apparently 120 WPM, now that I've checked out that website.

prototype.

Canada4214 Posts

November 27 2010 09:57 GMT

Awhile ago, i realized that i use my left hand for shift to capitalize regardless of what letter it is...

Could be due to hotkeying in starcraft.

Kyuukyuu

Canada6263 Posts

November 27 2010 10:06 GMT

I am right handed but my typing is entirely left-dominated. I even spacebar with my left hand, and also only use left shift (except for question marks).

I type about 150wpm? It doesn't really matter, if I concentrate on using "correct" hand placement I still do around the same. (maybe ~7-8wpm slower due to hesitations).

Sebby Lebby

68 Posts

November 27 2010 10:28 GMT

B. I've always typed it with the left hand. On most keyboards (all) that I've used, it's the same distance from either side, and depending on how you score keyboard layouts, it may be better on this side too, but I don't remember and I'm not going to run some keyboard evaluators just to check this out.

As for shift, I think shift really sucks. It is the biggest slowdown. In my own tests it is actually slower to hold shift then hit a key than to just hit two keys, which means sticky keys would be better if we were used to it.

As for spacebar, I think most typists use the same thumb for space all the time. The thumb is one of the more under-used fingers on the traditional keyboard. I like how in SC, players press things like B with their thumb.

Loves.

Wolf

Korea (South)3290 Posts

November 27 2010 11:13 GMT

Interesting site. I got about 100 WPM pretty consistently. About 60 the first time, though, since I was being really lazy. This has actually motivated me quite a bit to type faster; although, the faster I type, the louder it gets. I think I just woke up two of the sleeping people in this room-- I'm sharing it with three others, and it's 6 AM.

Zlasher

United States9129 Posts

November 27 2010 11:32 GMT

I was always taught in elementary school to type without looking at the keyboard and I always hit the "correct" keys except when i do a capital letter (i don't always use the left shift for right side keys, or vice versa). That said, I have a recorded 125 wpm average, peaks aren't much higher, i don't really deviate much. pretty happy about it, i don't feel the need to type faster or that i type too fast, since i don't usually make many mistakes.

Just ran through that test once, I rather like this format giving you the whole paragraph to type. Intsead of the other ones i've done where they give like 7 words at a time.

anyways, I've been up all night, its past 6:30 AM, and I'm using my laptop keyboard not my mechanical keyboard (I type much fatser with it) and I hit 118 WPM here, like I said its about 6:35 AM and I'm lying on my stomach on my bed with my laptop lol. Maybe uh....75 degrees F in my room? 100% accuracy. right handed, right thumb is almost always the one that hits space bar for some reason (only reason i notice this is because my spacebar is always very worn on the right thumbs spot and not the left)

.Aar

2177 Posts

November 27 2010 11:35 GMT

I learned typing from school, so everything's really defined for me and I don't do anything "hunting." I'm used to having my thumb on my laptop's touchpad while I'm typing, so my left thumb handles the space bar.

90 wpm with 98% accuracy at 3:30 AM and and 44 deg F.. I don't know how that stacks up against you tl.net gods of everything but all I know is, I owned in third grade typing class and I own in Tassadar Teaches Typing

The only thing that's non-standard for me is capitalization. I'm not sure exactly when I choose one over the other, but sometimes I use the alternate shift and sometimes I turn on Caps Lock, type the one key, and turn off Caps Lock.

I think that really limits my control in Starcraft, though, since my fingers are always in position for typing and not using hotkeys.. although I'm getting a little better.

m1LkmaN

Australia82 Posts

November 27 2010 11:50 GMT

I only use the left shift, hit space with my left thumb, share the letters y and h between both hands and even sometimes use my left to hit n. Typical gaming habitsI guess, I manage 100 WPM with perfect accuracy though.

flamewheel

FREEAGLELAND26781 Posts

November 27 2010 13:50 GMT

#10

I only use the right shift key, but otherwise I'm completely balanced in terms of striking letters/numbers. Typeracer is amazingly fun, though I wish they'd have more variety. After playing for a little bit the quotes start repeating.

Also dang KyuuKyuu you're pretty fast :O
I keep hovering around 135-145 but breaking 150 is pretty not-often for me.

Oh yeah right-handed for major things but left-handed in mannerisms.

OverTheUnder

United States2929 Posts

November 27 2010 14:03 GMT

#11

man wtf, you guys are crazy. I average 70-80 on most of the stuff... it's pretty hard.

I got a few 100+ on some of the easier ones though. I like how if you get above 100 you have to take a test to make sure you aren't a bot lol

micronesia

United States24708 Posts

November 27 2010 14:50 GMT

#12

When you do well it accuses you of cheating and asks you give you a private typing test lol

I'm "certified" now though so it's ok.

I type so much slower when reading random crap (especially with weird punctuation and capitalization) than when I'm just typing stream of consciousness :p