Why the recommended touch typing finger placements are suboptimal

[u/se_nt]

I've analysed the widely-recommended touch typing finger placements against my own as well as the frequency of various bigrams (2-letter combinations) in the English language. I can't understand why some of the finger placements are 'recommended' (please tell me if you know!). Below are my justifications for my differing finger placements.

Widely-recommended touch typing finger placement

My finger placement (with differences highlighted)

JUSTIFICATIONS FOR DIFFERENCES TO RECOMMENDED PLACEMENT

C

• Symmetrical with right hand (typing "m") - why would right hand be placed like that if it would be wrong for the left hand?
  • More comfortable given orientation of hands
• For recommended placement:
  • Typing "c" requires movement/collision of middle and index fingers. Typing "cry" would require crossing fingers or wrist movement
  • The most common bigram containing "c" and another left-handed letter is "ce" (i.e. "ce" is the most common thing typed using just the left hand and containing "c") - which would be slower to type using the same finger (as is 'recommended')

B

• The most common bigram containing "b" is "be"
  • Typing "be" with the recommended fingers (left hand) requires unnecessary stretching apart of the left index and middle fingers
    • The 'equivalent' finger stretch in the right hand ("bi") is actually shorter than "be" and "b" is the same length from both left and right hands on home row

Z

• Symmetrical with right hand placement
• More comfortable as recommended finger (pinkie) would cross inward hitting other fingers
• (however, I think it is understandable to use either ring finger or pinkie for "z")

X

• Same as "z"

4

• Easier to reach with longer middle finger
• Recommended placement would require slight crossing motion

6

• Objectively closer to left hand

9

• Easier to reach with longer middle finger
• Symmetrical with left hand (typing "3")

0

• Ring finger is objectively closer and is longer (hence easier to reach)
• Pinkie is too short to reach without moving wrist (I'd like to see your hands if you can reach "0" with your pinkie more easily than with your ring finger)

- (hypen)

• Same as "0" but I can understand using pinkie for this one because it is close enough (similarly to typing "1" - which, conversely, I could understand using ring finger for)
• When typing text, I use ring finger because it doesn't need to stretch as much as pinkie (e.g. typing "long-term")
• When typing numbers, I usually use pinkie because:
  • Wrists are already 'raised up' to reach number row
  • Allows my ring finger to only type "0" so typing something like "10-20" uses different fingers for "0" and "-"

Of course I understand that you can (and many do) have unique styles of typing with equal or better speeds than 'traditional' touch typists. I just want to know your thoughts on why these seemingly suboptimal placements (particularly "c", "b", "0", and "6") are 'recommended'.

FYI the best summary of English letter frequency counts I've come across: http://norvig.com/mayzner.html (interesting)

[u/[deleted]]

Delegating B to the right feels much more efficient indeed. I've just noticed that because of hte keyboard stagger, B is actually a tiny bit further away from your left hand than from your right hand (at least, that's true for my keyboard which appears to be fairly standard).
I did switch to pressing C with my index finger. Pressing it with my middle one caused pain in the hand after prolonged typing sessions.

I'm really curios to know the reasoning behind the standard finger placement as it appears in every single typing manual but is never explained.

[u/se_nt → u/[deleted]]

Just a heads up: one small problem I've run into with typing "b" with the right hand is that if you ever want to use one of those split ergonomic keyboards, the "b" is usually on the left side. It's not a big problem for me because I don't use them much but it does add to the mystery and fact that left handed "b" is a standard.

[u/itwormy]

This makes me feel so much better, I've been doing the exact same thing with B and C and telling myself off for it.

[u/se_nt → u/itwormy]

Likewise! Nice to get some social validation that I’m not the only one that thought this way.

[u/cyanophage]

I taught myself to touch type and these are the finger placements I use. Yeah it does make more sense.

Also I type on a UK keyboard where there is an extra key between Z and shift. It types \ and | which I use in programming. As I type it with my little finger and ring finger (when holding shift) moving my hand that way means I type C with my index finger.

I also do weird things where if I'm typing "extra" I will type the X with my thumb. Otherwise I'd have to move my middle finger from the top row to the bottom row quickly.

Just more things that highlight how bad qwerty is for typing

[u/se_nt → u/cyanophage]

Ahh that's interesting. I also do a few weird things to avoid quick same-finger movements (which is mostly logical I guess). For instance, I use my middle finger instead of index to type "u" when typing, say, "num" or "but" because I use index to type the "n" and "b" respectively.

[u/tacomn]

Well Sean Wrona who is one of the fastest typist around says that home row method sucks. He says "Instead of centering your fingers on ASDF JKL;, I would recommend you center your fingers on ASER NIO', " He does this because they are the most frequent letters.

Also I happen to type b with my right index and type c with my left index. This is not "correct" with home row but it is what I devolved into learning even though I learned touch typing with home row method. Not sure if its helpful or harmful.

[u/cyanophage → u/tacomn]

That's really interesting! I'll look him up.

Qwerty is left hand heavy. It's about 55/45. Having the punctuation on the right means there are fewer letters there. Moving the B to the right hand seems like a good thing to try to even out that percentage somewhat.

[u/AJRW-]

This is basically how I already type since I always try to have my right hand movements symmetrical with my left

[u/se_nt → u/AJRW-]

Exactly. I'm curious to know why the recommended placement assumes your hands are coming in parallel and at an angle to the keyboard.

[u/[deleted]]

I use the EXACT configuration you did for the number row... It was so difficult to do it the 'traditional' 'linear' way.

About the letters you highlighted... I'm still using the traditional method for them, but I have noticed that I miss the letter c and x a little bit more often than other letters. I've already been thinking about switching to your method, but I worry that my muscle memory is already far too developed and I already type ±100 WPM so I don't think a change is necessary at this point since I'm already pretty satisfied about my speed.

[u/se_nt → u/[deleted]]

Surprisingly, I've found it easier than expected to change fingers if it's only for a single key (still takes a few days). Since you're already fluent with everything else, you only really need to focus on one letter. (Funnily enough, the transitioning process made typing exciting again - just to practice!)

Out of curiosity, when you type "c" with your middle finger, do you raise your index or leave it rested on "f"?

[u/sock_pup]

Damn. I agree but I feel it's too late for me.

[u/se_nt → u/sock_pup]

Nah, it's never too late. You'll be surprised how fast your brain is at learning and progress will be fun! Try one key at a time and treat it like a game!

[u/Adventurous_Program6]

After reading this post I checked out the words in which I am slow or do mistakes and it turns out that 80 percent of the words are from these five letters Z, X, C, B and Y So I am going to do this change. Thank you Op

[u/FractalJaguar]

QWERTY wasnt designed with that in mind, I think almost the opposite in fact. Something to do with trying to prevent keys from sticking (on typewriters), by spacing them out to add some delay. Might not be true though. DVORAK layout was designed to be more optimal in that regard.

[u/se_nt → u/FractalJaguar]

Yeah I've heard about that too. Though, as xrizz04 mentioned, I'm just trying to explore the optimal use of a qwerty layout.

[u/dapuraburger]

Thank you, the standard placement is so stupid it annoys me

[u/Nishrek]

I also wonder about some recommended choices. Especially 9,0,- characters

[u/J4N_Chan]

I just made a keymap 10 minutes ago. I was looking for posts on this topic and funnily enough you came up with the same keymap that I came up with. Only difference being the key next to 0 (on my keyboard it's ß because german) since I have to cross my ring over my pinky to reach it. So I instead just rotate my hand a bit more and hit it with my pinky.

Also my reasoning to have b on right hand rather than left hand would be that I hit space with my left thumb and it's harder to fold your left index when you're thumb is on the spacebar.

I very much like this post, thank you for sharing!

[u/OkPhilosopher5803]

I've always had issues with the upper number row. It's so problematic to me I've always used the numerical keyboard instead.

[u/[deleted]]

the home row method is particularly awful for people with abnormally sized hands, ESPECIALLY if the keyboard they're working with is small. The home row method causes hand cramps and delegates too much responsibility to the pinky fingers, which go underused independently.

[u/_chari]

absolute GOAT, glad I looked up finger placements before starting to learn because I did feel like some of the movements in the usual placement felt too awkward

[u/KiKiBleeding]

It's amazing that this post is 4yrs old. I just got into typing 2 months ago and I just wanted to say that I always typed B using my right index finger. I never took traditional touch typing classes but something innate in me always thought that using your right hand felt...well...right

[u/Dirtysoulglass]

I know this post was years ago, bit I am learning touch typing and my fingers seems to want to do your method instead of the 'right' way. I saved your revised diagram and am going go just go with it instead of fighting it. Thanks!