How to Stop Looking at the Keyboard While Typing

Looking down at the keys is the biggest brake on typing speed. Every glance breaks your rhythm and forces your eyes to find the place in the text again. The good news is that it is a habit, and habits can be changed in a few weeks of short daily practice.

Why you look down

You look because you are not sure where a key is. The fix is to make each finger sure about its own keys, not to force yourself to be brave. That comes from slow, correct repetition.

Step 1: anchor your hands on the home row

Rest your fingers on A S D F and J K L ;. The small bumps on F and J let your index fingers find home without looking. Your thumbs rest on the space bar. Return to this position after every key.

Step 2: learn the zones

Each finger owns a column of keys. The left index finger covers F, R, V, G, T, B and the right index covers J, U, M, H, Y, N. Use the coloured keyboard in the lessons and the finger hints in the test to see which finger belongs to which key. See also finger positions explained.

Step 3: cover the keyboard

Put a cloth or a sheet of paper over your hands, or tilt the screen so you cannot see the keys. Practise 10 minutes a day. Mistakes will rise at first; that is part of learning.

Step 4: slow and clean

Type at about 60-70% of your normal speed and aim for 95% accuracy. Use the accuracy test, where one mistake ends the run. Speed comes back by itself once the fingers know where to go.

Step 5: fix the awkward keys

Most people look down for the same few keys: numbers, punctuation and the bottom row. Take a test, check your weak keys and use Smart Practice to drill them.

How long does it take?

With 15-20 minutes every day, many people stop looking down within 2-4 weeks and exceed their old speed within 6-8 weeks. Results vary, so judge yourself by trend, not by a single day. Compare your first 1 minute test with one a month later.