A dusty keyboard will get you nowhere. The only way to improve your typing speed is to practice. Practicing not only helps to learn the keyboard layout, but also builds muscle memory, making it easier to know exactly where the right keys are without looking. Typing accuracy, one of the keys to typing fast, can be improved via typing tutorials, typing out chapters from books for practice or playing typing games.

Many people love to practice using typrX, an online typing competition. typrX keeps track of your typing speed, while allowing you to compete against other people, either around the world in public races or with friends in private races.  Destroying the competition can be satisfying, and provides a fun incentive to practice.

Have you ever thought about how much you look at the keyboard when you type? Every time you look down to find key, the time you spend looking significantly decrease your typing speed. Professional typists touch type because memorizing the keyboard layout is much more efficient and accurate.  Learning to touch type is simple and there are several free touch typing tutorials out there to help.

A blank keyboard prevents you from hunting and pecking. With no temptation to look down, you'll learn to touch type even faster and see major improvement in your WPM (words per minute).

Mom always told you to sit up straight and she was right. If you want to spend more time at your computer programming that masterpiece, fragging the competition, or surfing the internet, you'll need to set up your desk ergonomically.

While touch typing is about placing the hands efficiently for minimal movement on the keyboard, proper posture and desk ergonomics are about positioning the body ideally for typing on a computer; causing less movement and more efficient typing. This helps prevent injuries from repetitive movement, and enables you to spend large amounts of time more comfortably at your desk.