I know several experienced typists who all type at almost exactly 65 words per minute. Is it possible that there is some (nearly) impenetrable limit of 65 words per minute for most people? Of course, it is breakable with enough practice...I think...
My typing speed record: http://hi-games.net/typing-test/watch?u=493
I've been wondering about that myself. It seems that I meet the wall around 65 WPM too.
My best guess is that there is something you'll need to train (semi-)consciously to become faster than that. I don't think my brain or muscles couldn't handle higher speeds - and accuracy certainly plays a part of it too! - but at the level of dedication I've put into typing so far I don't seem to be progressing fast any more. Who knows, I may find myself getting faster now and then despite of this, but I'm not sure.
When I was learning the piano, improvement always seemed to come in leaps and bounds. I'd be banging against a wall for a while, feeling the frustration rising, but then all of a sudden something clicked into place and I got a lot better at certain aspects of my play. Maybe typing and the piano work in similar ways for the motor memory - that wouldn't surprise me.
One question is whether it's mostly a matter of comfort and habit. I've stopped training now because I feel fast enough to myself. I can type fast enough for my own comfort, so there isn't a real drive to improve myself anymore. It could be just that, I guess. I know that if I had had a significantly higher typing speed at any point, I'd be wanting to reclaim and maybe slightly top that - but my former QWERTY speed was around 60 WPM so I'm quite pleased with 65 WPM now. Better stop being lazy and complacent I guess... :)
*** Learn Colemak in 2–5 steps with Tarmak! ***
*** Check out my Big Bag of Keyboard Tricks for Win/Linux/TMK... ***
My best guess is that there is something you'll need to train (semi-)consciously to become faster than that.
That matches my experience.
When people talk about reaching a plateau, I think what they have really identified is just "the point at which improving is no longer easy enough that it won't hurt my brain." Getting past that just requires a more concentrated effort, after which, the brain will be able to cope at the higher speeds with ease.
With fluid execution of finger rolls, 65 wpm is definitely not a physical limit.
My typing record: http://hi-games.net/typing-test/watch?u=1
Awwww, no smart cheat codes from you to us? Just concentrated effort that will hurt my brain which is already in constant pain from ordinary life? :(
*** Learn Colemak in 2–5 steps with Tarmak! ***
*** Check out my Big Bag of Keyboard Tricks for Win/Linux/TMK... ***
DreymaR said:My best guess is that there is something you'll need to train (semi-)consciously to become faster than that.
That matches my experience.
When people talk about reaching a plateau, I think what they have really identified is just "the point at which improving is no longer easy enough that it won't hurt my brain." Getting past that just requires a more concentrated effort, after which, the brain will be able to cope at the higher speeds with ease.
With fluid execution of finger rolls, 65 wpm is definitely not a physical limit.
Well if that is the case, what methods would I use to increase my speed past 65 WPM?
My typing speed record: http://hi-games.net/typing-test/watch?u=493
Well if that is the case, what methods would I use to increase my speed past 65 WPM?
Up to about 90wpm, I think you should focus on what are your most commonly mistyped characters. Pick your worst character and focus on that as you type until you no longer mistype it or delay to type it.
After 90wpm, I would suggest to focus more on even rhythm as I've described on http://www.ryanheise.com/colemak/
My typing record: http://hi-games.net/typing-test/watch?u=1
My plateau on querty is also around 65 WPM for almost 10 years.
I think 65 is not the physical limit, but the comfort limit (for querty).
Hopefully colemak could give me a higher comfortable speed later.
I don't pay much attention as my workspace has been not very ergo at all for the last few years. My chair is too high with armrests in the dang way, keyboard to low and rotated oddly to fit on the workspace, it is also too far left of course because of the stupid numberpad, screen is below my eyeline, feet not on floor as chair is to high, etc. Just disaster.
But my plateau is definitely mistake oriented. Like my fingers are confused, or just not paying attention (like I just typed "mpaying" and then left the 'g' off of "paying" -- just nonsensical, dumb things rather than fat-fingering.). Sometimes I have to hit backspace for 3 or 4 mistakes in a row! This I think is due to the poor ergonomics inspiring "why try?" laziness that hopefully will soon change. Who knew fingers got so lazy if you let them?
But I just took my first typing test linked at hi-games.net, and turned out 72 by paying a little attention (sitting up straight). That is way faster that it feels to me, but I think 70 wpm is my "notch" that I default to with correcting too many mistakes. I miss that wonderful rhythm feeling I used to have that ryanheise is describing, flicking out words, but it's been a while. Good advice to focus on the errors I bet; I know I will take it.
I don't think I can get up to the sustained 120s peak from typing on the Apple IIe's in school as a kid or ryanheise has, but I can see now why they people here thing it is fun to make an account, do before/after, and chart progress of the switch... it IS fun. With a new keyboard and setup, it seems like a good time to switch.
Anyway, just an anecdote... I think people's plateaus are different, because I type probably 50 wpm when really tired, or thinking hard about each phrase, and almost 75 when transcribing text as in the test. What I wonder is how thinking speed effects typing... or much more interesting, if slow typing is sometimes maybe holding back faster sentence formation that we realize! I know the brain happily "gears down" in many other circumstances that we allow it to -- even if that isn't a good thing and we don't notice. Though I do notice that I now occasionally have to stop my train of thought and focus on the mechanics of correcting my typing, before resuming (or forgetting what was next). That's no good at all.
Maybe Colemak helping to break that 65 wpm barrier will make you (and me) "smarter"! Or at least get down thoughts that may otherwise float away while waiting in our mental "buffers"... :)
EDIT: Speaking of mental buffers... I just remembered that 65wpm was required for an 'A' in my class those many years ago. (And probably not coincidentally, isn't that pretty much exactly the highest job requirement typing speed you've ever seen posted? So maybe many typing tutor programs or at least students stop there?)
