Exercise 4: The Forefinger Hand-Off

This exercise give you a chance to practise efficiently crossing the great left-hand, right-hand divide! Sometimes it can feel like your forefingers are floating in the ether when they are in the extended position. Here you can develop a better sense of where they are in relation to the keys beside them that are pressed with the opposite hand.

Try to see the pattern of the exercise: it is a 4-key pattern that is repeated in each row. Note that there is a space at the end of each line.

Make sure you keep all of these principles in mind before starting:

• No mistakes. Always be sure and in control. Follow the principle of 100% correct practice: to make a mistake is to learn incorrect things, and to confuse that which you already know.
• Slower is faster. Speed comes from certainty. The more you type things correctly, no matter how slow it has to be, the more certain you will be, and the faster you will become a proficient typist. Increase speed only when you feel sure enough to do so.
• Don't look at the keyboard! If you don't know where a key is, look at the keyboard to find it, then look away and type the key. Do not guess; always be sure.
• Relax. No unnecessary or dysfunctional tension!
• Hit the keys squarely in the center. If you find you aren't consistently doing so, SLOW DOWN!!! It should feel good to type!

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