# Which hand do you press the Shift key with? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 28, 2008, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-hand-do-you-press-the-shift-key-with/461502 "2008-08-28T01:50:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-hand-do-you-press-the-shift-key-with/461502/41 "2008-08-28T18:56:06Z")
Right handed, and I use the third finger on my left Hand, No Matter Where the Letter is on the Keyboard. \<–testing the theory But mine is a made-up typing technique. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-hand-do-you-press-the-shift-key-with/461502/42 "2008-08-28T19:23:37Z")
I use a left handed shift, thanks to having to use typewriters in high school. I sucked too. I typed better using the programmer pecking method. ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angel_of_the_lord/32/2949_2.png) [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-hand-do-you-press-the-shift-key-with/461502/43 "2008-08-28T21:35:44Z")
Judging from the wear on my keyboard at work. . . I always use the left for Shift. Left pinkie That’s the only thing I use that finger for. For the space bar. . .well, the right side of the space bar is all shiny. Looks like I’m using my right thumb. There is, however, a little wear on the left side of the space bar, and I notice that I use it when I’m going “. . .” But it’s relatively little wear; the right side of the bar is smooth, and I’ve only had this keyboard for about two months. ---
**Author:** ![Kiros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/439d5e/32.png) [@Kiros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiros)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-hand-do-you-press-the-shift-key-with/461502/44 "2008-08-28T23:37:12Z")
Well it looks like I get to be in the rarer category here… I am right handed, and I always use my right pinkie to hit the shift key. Right thumb for space. For the data point, I am a self-taught typist and I type somewhere between 90 and 120 wpm depending on how agile my fingers feel on any given day. ---
**Author:** ![lizardling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lizardling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lizardling)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2008, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-hand-do-you-press-the-shift-key-with/461502/45 "2008-08-29T00:24:02Z")
I’m lefthanded, and I always use my left pinky to hit the left Shift key. I don’t know that I actually use my right pinky when typing. Well, my right ring finger gets some use when hitting the Enter and apostrophe keys, but that’s pretty much it. FTR, my typing is not the socially acceptable home row method of typing, but I can whip out text at about 90 wpm when I’m really warmed up. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Stilettos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@Red\_Stilettos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Stilettos)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2008, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-hand-do-you-press-the-shift-key-with/461502/46 "2008-08-29T00:58:56Z")
I’m right-handed and I use my left pinky for the shift key. As others have also said, I use my right thumb for the space bar. I learned to type correctly in middle school, but, over time, I’ve developed a system that works for me. Kind of like my handwriting is a mix of print and cursive. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f08c70/32.png) [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Brother_Walker)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2008, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-hand-do-you-press-the-shift-key-with/461502/47 "2008-08-29T01:42:59Z")
I am right handed. I use the left pinky to shift always. Except sometimes I hit the blasted windows button and have to screech to a halt and mouse it out. I space with a beer in my head. …I mean, I HIT the space bar with my right thumb. :smack: I don’t use the right pinky for much anymore. I’m lazy. I broke my right pinky about a year ago and it never grew back right. So the right ring replaces the pinky mostly. Mr. Horton was my typing teacher. We learned on the old two-ton SmithCorona SkullCrusher models (yes, with an actual carriage return handle ). He lived three houses down from my house. He was a great guy. Tough, but great. P.S: I, too, invented my own style of handwriting. It looks more like I draw letters than write words. But again, changed slightly because of the broken pinky thing. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2008, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-hand-do-you-press-the-shift-key-with/461502/48 "2008-08-29T02:17:24Z")
[QUOTE=whiterabbit] Rightie here. Left pinky for shift, right thumb for space. [/QUOTE] Left pinkie for Shift, and _left_ thumb for Space, for me. I’m also right-handed. I also use my left pinkie for Ctrl whenever possible, but occasionally my fingers won’t stretch far enough (for example, Ctrl-I for italicizing). In that case, I use the _right_ Ctrl key, but I use my _left forefinger_ to press it. Because I have to use fingers **on the same hand** for all two-key combinations, of course… ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2008, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-hand-do-you-press-the-shift-key-with/461502/49 "2008-08-29T02:19:45Z")
[QUOTE=AHunter3] That’s how I do it. I can’t imagine doing otherwise, how the heck would you Shift-A with your left hand? I mean, yeah, I can do it but it would slow me to a crawl if I did. [/QUOTE] Left pinkie on Shift. Lleft ring-finger on A. No problem at all, if you are fanatic about using your left hand for all “control keys”… 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-hand-do-you-press-the-shift-key-with/461502.md?page=2)