# How fast are your reflexes? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 7, 2002, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-are-your-reflexes/117795 "2002-07-07T17:53:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-are-your-reflexes/117795/1 "2002-07-07T17:53:52Z")
Inspired by this GQ thread: [Human reflex and reaction times](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=123992) I used the [ReflexTester](http://www.gamemakers.de/reflextester/). After practicing for a while, I got down to an average of 0.27 or 0.28 seconds. My best time was 0.16, but that may have been a fluke, since that was the only time I got below 0.20. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-are-your-reflexes/117795/2 "2002-07-07T18:03:13Z")
At school we did a test where one person held a ruler between your fingers. when they let go you had to catch the ruler. I caught the ruler quicker than everyone else in the class, almost every time. (the speed is ‘recorded’ by the fact that the quicker you catch the ruler, the less ruler will be underneath your fingers) I was also a good goalkeeper, until I started to get rubbish at it, then I started to be a good defender (soccer) also requiring quick reflexes. So in answer to your question - fast enough. I am off to use the reflex tester - which will probably prove that reflexes is one of the things I’ve lost with age. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-are-your-reflexes/117795/3 "2002-07-07T18:04:33Z")
First attempt - 0.181. I guess I still have those reflexes. unless it was a fluke, like yours. ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-are-your-reflexes/117795/4 "2002-07-07T18:05:34Z")
Heh, I tried it 10 times and got .22 8 times, .16 once. I also got a bunch of “Cheater! You clicked too early!” so I didn’t count them. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-are-your-reflexes/117795/5 "2002-07-07T18:06:09Z")
Fucking hell. I’ve done it about 10 times now and I get 1.6 every time. I hope that is good. someone will probably come along and get 0.1 ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-are-your-reflexes/117795/6 "2002-07-07T18:07:24Z")
Sorry (embarrased) I meant 0.16 not 1.6 anyway, it said ‘nice!’ so it must be good. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-are-your-reflexes/117795/7 "2002-07-07T18:09:20Z")
My best after about 15 goes is 0.15 with only one ‘cheater’ ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-are-your-reflexes/117795/8 "2002-07-07T18:15:18Z")
I guess 0.16 will be the average between young dopers. I get it almost every time. with the odd 0.14 or a few 4s and 5s which say ‘have you been drinking?’ funny thing is - if I was drinking, my reactions would probably be faster. I humbly apologise for the number of replies to this. I am just quite excited that I still have good reflexes when I am fat, and eat junk food all the time. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-are-your-reflexes/117795/9 "2002-07-07T18:25:13Z")
Tried 20 times. Through out the highs and lows. 14 times it was .22 ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-are-your-reflexes/117795/10 "2002-07-07T18:26:22Z")
_Threw_. Well, I had had 4 beers since noon. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-are-your-reflexes/117795/11 "2002-07-07T18:27:52Z")
> [@](#): > > funny thing is - if I was drinking, my reactions would probably be faster. If you can give a cite for that, I’ll eat your shorts. ---
**Author:** ![JimOfAllTrades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@JimOfAllTrades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimOfAllTrades)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-are-your-reflexes/117795/12 "2002-07-07T18:41:47Z")
I always thought I was clumsy as hell, but had reasonably fast reflexes (which kept me from falling on my face every ten minutes as I tripped over things). I guess my reflexes haven’t slowed down that much at 46 years old. The majority of my hits were .17, with the slowest being .22, and with one exception, the fastest were all .15. The exception was .05. I accidentally clicked to soon, and the color changed after I started to click, but before I finished. The comment said “You can’t do much better than that”. But it was just a fluke. Ugly ---
**Author:** ![irish\_bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ac91a4/32.png) [@irish\_bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irish_bill)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-are-your-reflexes/117795/13 "2002-07-07T19:53:52Z")
I got a .11 a couple of times (“better that clint eastwood”), I also have a headache from focussing on the screen.(ouch) ---
**Author:** ![Eli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@Eli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eli)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-are-your-reflexes/117795/14 "2002-07-07T20:54:47Z")
0.161 is my best. I tried doing it with my eyes closed, 0.22. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-are-your-reflexes/117795/15 "2002-07-07T21:36:58Z")
.21 on my first try, .16 second, .03 third. Then I started jumping the gun, trying to beat that last one. Over another dozen tries, I placed from .1 to .15. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-are-your-reflexes/117795/16 "2002-07-07T23:19:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by samclem \* > \*\* > > If you can give a cite for that, I’ll eat your shorts. \*\* I am drunk now. I am getting 0.22 almost every time. except for a few 0.16s and one 0.05! so I guess I was wrong. . however, I don’t think the 0.16 and 0.05s were flukes, as I have only tried about 8 times. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2002, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-are-your-reflexes/117795/17 "2002-07-07T23:32:10Z")
I’m getting .16 consistantly, occaisonaly getting a .22 (are these the only numbers it knows how to give? Sheesh.) I pressed to early once and got a .05, heh. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2002, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-are-your-reflexes/117795/18 "2002-07-08T01:54:55Z")
I’m getting 0.196 or thereabouts intermixed with slower 0.214’s. My browser doesn’t play nicely–the page doesn’t turn red for me and I’m reacting to a change in the way the text appears on the screen. I’m 43 so the 0.196 is probably in real life as good as I’m gonna get ☹ ---
**Author:** ![barking\_frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@barking\_frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barking_frog)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2002, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-are-your-reflexes/117795/19 "2002-07-08T02:48:08Z")
My fastest is .16 and my mode is .22. I wonder if I can take off .03-.04 for using an LCD monitor :D. ---
**Author:** ![CnoteChris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@CnoteChris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CnoteChris)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2002, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-are-your-reflexes/117795/20 "2002-07-08T03:05:13Z")
I posted a site like this not too long ago. Back then I sucked, but tonight I got a .161 right out of the gate. Thinking it was a fluke, I kept on trying. In order, I got a 21, 16, 16, 17. I think I’ll stop while I’m ahead. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-are-your-reflexes/117795.md?page=2)