Can an old dog still improve his typing speed?

[Hordak]

I mastered touch typing a few years ago in my late twenties (had a fairly efficient custom before that). As a programmer, I do type a decent amount each day, but typing code is very different from conversational typing, so I feel that my speed hasn't improved for quite a while. Currently, I type in the mid 60s according to a quick 10fastfingers.com test. That's quite slow in my opinion, so I decided to do something about it.

I signed up with typingweb.com, completed their intermediate & advanced course, but my speed & accuracy has not improved much, maybe a few WPM. Guess I just need a lot more practice, but I wanted to ask if any of the "older" typist here have been successful in significantly improving your typing speed later in your life, just for motivational purposes

[daerid]

Define "older".

[Hordak]

Well, the brain is fully developed at around 25, so any age above that would be interesting.

[handystack]

For programming, I would really suggest practicing with http://typing.io/
Typing code is very different from typing English.
I am in my late twenties and just recently learned to touch type, so I am afraid I can't speak from direct experience when it comes to improving typing at a later age.  As a guitar and piano teacher I have noticed something about the manual dexterity of older students though.  Middle aged people have very deeply entrenched relationships to their hands.  Finger independence and flexibility are best learned while you are a child, but can stay with you for your entire life.  If you have already developed these skills earlier in life (which you almost certainly have if you are a programmer), the only thing that stands between you and faster typing is hours of practice.

[EvillePanda]

Personally, I believe touch typing has very little to do with whether or not your brain is fully developed and everything to do with comfort and confidence.  I'm over 25 and just taught myself Dvorak.  I'm quickly approaching my old typing speed and will probably surpass it soon.  I use keyboards I'm comfortable typing on and find I do better without the security net of correctly labeled keyboard (my home keyboard is still in QWERTY layout).  Most of all, it's about muscle memory.

[Hordak]

For programming, I would really suggest practicing with http://typing.io/

Yeah, I've seen that app, but I think the concept is kinda crazy, to be honest I already code the whole day so I don't think I need that, and furthermore, while coding, autocomplete comes into play all the time. But generally, I'm rather looking to improve the speed of my conversational typing. Interesting observation about the guitar players though, thanks.

Personally, I believe touch typing has very little to do with whether or not your brain is fully developed and everything to do with comfort and confidence.  I'm over 25 and just taught myself Dvorak. ... Most of all, it's about muscle memory.

Yes, you're right that it's about muscle memory. But my question was rather if you can significantly increase your typing speed when you're older, or will you never be able to reach 100+ or 120+ wpm as today's kids seem to be typing already at the age of 12?

[daerid]

I only ask because I'm hittin 34 this year and feel anything but "old"

[esoomenona]

I only ask because I'm hittin 34 this year and feel anything but "old"

Old is relative. I think how things have played out in one person's life as opposed to another, and that person's reaction and reception of those things, can change drastically how a person feels about their life thus far, even if it hasn't been necessarily long by a count of years.

[ctbear]

I find that 10fastfingers represent little of what real conversational typing is. I can do 100+ wpm on 10fastfingers easily but my real wpm is probably somewhere around 80-90, and even less when coding.
Try typeracer.com. You get to type real passages or lyrics, so it's more representative of what conversational typing is.

[alosec]

I find that 10fastfingers represent little of what real conversational typing is. I can do 100+ wpm on 10fastfingers easily but my real wpm is probably somewhere around 80-90, and even less when coding.
Try typeracer.com. You get to type real passages or lyrics, so it's more representative of what conversational typing is.

I agree. I've been playing typeracer just as a time-killer whenever I get the chance and typeracer tells me I've increased 30 wpm (from 60 to 90) even though I can't really tell a difference from then to now.

Also: I'm a long time gamer and my most comfortable 'default' resting place for my fingers are on wasd instead of asdf. Would it be worth the time to improve my finger positioning in an effort to improve typing speed?

[daerid]

My WPM when programming is abysmal. I mean, should we even measure programming typing speed in WPM? Most of what you're doing isn't typing words.

I get an average of about 95-100 WPM on TypeRacer, which to me is more representative of real "communicative" typing that something like 10fastfingers.

[Tony]

There is a limit on typing speed for each individual. If exercise could increase the speed 0.01wpm each day, then after 30 years you would type 108wpm faster.