10 Touch Typing Mistakes That Are Destroying Your Speed

TL;DR
Learning to touch type isn't just about going fast—it's about building proper habits that compound over time. The biggest mistake beginners make is prioritizing speed over accuracy. Focus on precision first, learn the shift and punctuation keys early, use proper finger positioning on the home row, and invest in a quality mechanical keyboard. Your typing skills will last a lifetime, so take the time to build them correctly.

Why Touch Typing Matters More Than Ever

In a world where we spend hours each day on keyboards—whether for work, communication, or creative projects—typing speed and accuracy directly impact productivity. Touch typing isn't just a skill; it's a superpower that lets your fingers express your thoughts as fast as you can think them.

But here's the catch: learning the wrong way can set you back months or even years. Bad habits become deeply ingrained through muscle memory, making them incredibly difficult to unlearn later. That's why it's crucial to identify and avoid common pitfalls from the start.

Mistake #1: Obsessing Over Speed Too Early

This is the most common and destructive mistake new typists make. Speed is the natural goal of touch typing—everyone wants to type faster—but focusing too heavily on speed won't actually make you faster.

Here's the counterintuitive truth: typing slowly with zero mistakes will improve your speed far more effectively than rushing through sentences and making constant errors. Every mistake you make while practicing actually reinforces bad muscle memory, setting back your progress.

The Fix: Focus exclusively on accuracy. As your accuracy improves, speed naturally follows. Use REACTOKEY to practice at a comfortable pace where you make minimal errors, then gradually increase difficulty as your accuracy solidifies.

Mistake #2: Ignoring Shift and Punctuation Keys

Many learners focus exclusively on letter keys and consider themselves "done" once they've memorized A-Z. They look down every time they need a period, comma, apostrophe, or capital letter. This habit severely limits progress.

Punctuation marks and shift keys are used constantly in real-world typing. Until you commit them to muscle memory, you can't practice typing full sentences effectively—which is essential for becoming a truly fast typist.

The Fix: Make punctuation practice a priority from the beginning. Include the period, comma, apostrophe, and shift keys in your dedicated practice sessions. Your future self will thank you.

Mistake #3: Stressing About Number Keys Too Soon

Here's some good news if you're struggling: you can temporarily deprioritize the number row at the top of the keyboard. These keys are used far less frequently than letters and punctuation, and they can be frustrating to master.

The Exception: Learn the exclamation point early—it's used quite often and shares a key with the number 1.

The Strategy: Master the letter keys and common punctuation first. Once those are second nature, add the number row to your practice routine. This staged approach prevents frustration and keeps you motivated.

Mistake #4: Learning Too Many Keys Simultaneously

Some modern training methods promote an "all-in" approach—learning the entire keyboard at once. While this works for some people (especially those learning to type for the very first time without existing habits), it fails for many others.

If you already have a personal typing method and you've plateaued at a certain speed, trying to memorize too many new positions at once can make it nearly impossible to memorize any of them properly. Your old habits slip back in before the new ones can solidify.

The Fix: Consider a letter-by-letter or finger-by-finger approach. Learn new key positions gradually, giving each one time to become automatic before adding more. Remember: you're building skills you'll use for the rest of your life. There's no rush.

Mistake #5: Using the Wrong Keyboard

Since you're going to use typing skills for decades, it makes sense to invest in proper equipment. The keyboard you practice on significantly impacts your learning speed and accuracy.

Recommended: Mechanical keyboards provide tactile feedback—the keys bounce back after each press, confirming you've typed the letter and helping keep your fingers in the correct position.

Not Recommended for Beginners: Digital keyboards, tablets, and flat laptop keyboards (including Mac keyboards) lack the tactile feedback that helps build proper muscle memory.

The good news? Once you've mastered typing on a mechanical keyboard, you'll be able to transfer those skills to any QWERTY keyboard without difficulty.

Mistake #6: Over-Relying on Smartphones

Every time you reach for your phone to Google a question, order something online, or send a message—when a computer is nearby—you're missing valuable typing practice.

No matter how fast you think you are with your thumbs, you can type faster using ten fingers on a full keyboard. Once you master touch typing, virtually every task becomes faster on a computer than on a phone.

The Strategy: Whenever your computer is accessible, use it instead of your smartphone. You'll benefit from extra screen space, better productivity, and—most importantly—more typing practice. Kill two birds with one stone by reducing smartphone dependency while building keyboard skills.

Mistake #7: Binge Learning

Just because gradual learning is better doesn't mean you should cram 72 hours of practice into a three-day marathon. Muscle memory—the foundation of fast, accurate typing—takes time to build.

Those same 72 hours spread over three months will produce dramatically better results than three days of intense cramming. Your brain needs rest periods to consolidate new motor skills and convert short-term learning into permanent muscle memory.

The Fix: Practice consistently in shorter sessions over a longer period. Daily 15-30 minute sessions with REACTOKEY will outperform occasional marathon sessions every time.

Mistake #8: Using Incorrect Finger Positions

This should be obvious, but it's worth emphasizing: if your goal is speed, you absolutely must use proper finger positioning. Your fingers should start and end on the home row keys, and each keystroke should be made with the correct finger.

You can get by in life without proper technique, but you'll never achieve true typing speed. When your starting position is wrong, every other key you reach for will be off as well.

The Fix: Print out a finger chart and reference it during practice. The F and J keys have small ridges—use these tactile markers to find the home row without looking. Learning keys one finger at a time ensures proper positioning becomes habitual before bad habits can form.

Mistake #9: Looking at the Keyboard

Yes, you've heard this before. Yes, it's obvious. But it's also the most common setback for aspiring typists. Looking at the keyboard feels natural and provides a sense of security—but it's a crutch that prevents real progress.

During dedicated practice sessions, you should look at the keyboard as little as humanly possible. This is how you train your fingers to know where keys are without conscious thought.

The Strategy: Use the F and J key ridges to find home row by touch. During everyday tasks, some keyboard glancing is understandable—but during practice sessions, commit to keeping your eyes on the screen. This single habit change accelerates learning more than almost any other technique.

Mistake #10: Neglecting Posture (Physical and Mental)

Physical Posture: Get a good chair. Position your monitor at proper eye height. Keep your wrists straight. These ergonomic basics prevent strain and injury while enabling faster, more comfortable typing.

Mental Posture: This is the overlooked factor that separates successful learners from those who give up. Many people view typing practice as a chore—but this mindset makes learning harder than it needs to be.

Touch typing is an incredible skill that lets your fingers move as one with your brain, expressing thoughts, plans, and dreams as quickly as you can conceive them. Once mastered, there's nothing chore-like about it—it's freeing, liberating, and genuinely enjoyable.

The Mindset Shift: Focus on all the benefits waiting on the other side of the learning curve: faster task completion, improved efficiency, and the satisfying feeling of flying across a keyboard. Celebrate small wins. Stay excited about the progress you're making.

Start Building the Right Habits Today

The best time to learn proper touch typing technique is now. Every day you practice with bad habits is another day those habits become more deeply ingrained—and harder to fix.

Whether you're just starting out or looking to break a speed plateau, the principles remain the same: prioritize accuracy over speed, learn systematically, practice consistently (not intensively), and maintain proper posture and positioning.

Ready to put these principles into practice? REACTOKEY offers a fun, game-based approach to typing practice that makes building proper habits enjoyable. Track your progress, challenge yourself with increasing difficulty, and watch your speed and accuracy improve over time.

Ready to transform your typing?
Visit reactokey.com and start practicing with the fastest typing game on the web—no download required. Your future self will thank you.