if you go with a split, hand separation is the biggest improvement you can make. put enough space in between the halves so your arms are
almost straight. yes, angling can help a little if you can't separate. yes, tenting can help, but to actually get your firearm bones not to cross (which is what tenting is about) you'd have to go more vertical than any tenting kit provides.
another big issue is how bad a normal staggered qwerty layout really is. once you start playing with alternate layouts it becomes very obvious.
- why put the most used modifier in the outermost corner, intended to be used with your weakest finger (pinky)?
- try the control/cap lock swap for starters
- if you go split, do it right with a split ortholinear board with thumb keys. this gives you the opportunity to put all the modifiers in the center/middle of the board, easily holding with your thumb that's already there.
- as far as size of the split board, pick something that works for you. if you're new to a split board and are coming from the standard staggered qwerty, pick something larger (at least 5x6 grids) this will minimize layering until you get used to it. you can go very small as well, you just need to figure out what you can & can't live without. look up some of the split boards and recreate it in
keyboard layout editor and populate it with a keymap you think will work. are there enough keys? are there too many keys? and all of your custom/kit keyboards are fully programmable so you can program any key to be where ever you want on the board.