Article last updated: January 2026
Once you’ve learned the fundamentals of touch typing, the next goal is simple: type faster without losing accuracy. This page covers the best proven techniques to increase speed — plus an advanced method (“scanning”) that helps experienced typists push toward very high WPM.
Use this page in order: Watch the video first, then practice in TypeDrift Full Keyboard near the bottom.
Watch the video first
Quick routine: Watch once, then practice for 10–15 minutes (accuracy-first). When mistakes rise, slow down until it’s clean again. Speed comes from clean repetition.
The real truth about typing faster
Typing faster isn’t magic — it’s a skill built through commitment, discipline, and repetition. Typing is both a mental and physical skill, and speed comes from building muscle memory the same way athletes build automatic movement through practice.
If you want speed, you’ve got to want it. Motivation is the fuel that gets you through the frustrating stage.
5 techniques that reliably increase typing speed
- Posture + wrist position: elbows about 90° or wider, wrists straight. Avoid thick pads that curl your wrists upward.
- Return to Home Row: always come back to ASDF and JKL;. It keeps your hands centered and reinforces correct finger usage.
- No looking: you can’t build reliable muscle memory if your eyes keep “saving” you. Use a finger chart if you get stuck — not your keyboard.
- Practice backspace on purpose: mistakes are part of learning. Train your right pinky to hit backspace/delete while staying eyes-up.
- Practice consistently: any time you type without looking (games, copying text, real work) counts — as long as you use the correct fingers.
Fix your bottlenecks with isolated drills
If one finger consistently slows you down (often ring/pinky), isolate it for a minute or two. Pick two keys that finger owns and alternate them while returning to Home Row between keystrokes.
Example (left pinky): q … home … z … home … q … home … z
This is one of the fastest ways to remove “weak-link” keys that cap your speed.
Advanced technique: Scanning (push toward 200 WPM)
At high speed, the bottleneck often stops being your fingers and becomes your brain. Scanning is the skill of keeping your brain ahead of your hands so your fingers are never idle.
- While typing the current word, already know the next two words you’ll type.
- Practice by copying text on another screen, but focus on queueing words in your head.
- Song lyrics and familiar paragraphs work great because your brain can stay ahead more easily.
Goal: your brain stays ahead of your fingers so your hands never “wait” for the next word.
Practice Full Keyboard in TypeDrift
TypeDrift is my accuracy-first practice tool built to reinforce proper technique and build real speed. Use Full Keyboard mode when you’re ready to combine everything and push pace without developing sloppy habits.
- Accuracy-first training that converts into real speed
- Full-keyboard practice to eliminate weak keys
- Short sessions (10–15 minutes) that actually stick
Tip: When you feel sloppy, don’t grind harder — slow down and get clean again. Clean reps are what build permanent speed.
Want the fastest results?
Do 10–15 minutes a day with clean accuracy, and you’ll be shocked how quickly your speed climbs — especially once your weak keys stop holding you back.
