Save my Pinkie

[palswim]

I've been thinking lately about unnatural/dangerous movements I take with my body, trying to reduce stress on my joints and such. I've been concentrating on my knees and ankles, but I recently realized that trying to perform the keystrokes Ctrl+Tab (or especially Ctrl+Shift+Tab) results in some very unnatural twisting for my left pinkie.

So, I'm wondering: what have you guys done to protect your pinkies? Have you changed your keyboard? Changed your keyboard layout? Tried pressing the Control key with your palm or semi-fist?

For reference: I use a flat Dell keyboard on Windows 7 (so no "Emacs pinky"), or a laptop keyboard with Windows Vista. Most of my pinky stress probably comes from switching tabs and things like that.

 

[Duder1no]

Slowly step away from the keyboard and go outside dude.

 

[TheVrolok]

I wonder how you're orienting your hand .. pushing ctrl with my pinkie is fairly comfortable, I just flex it.

 

[Drako]

Mouse - problem solved.

 

[Matthiasa]

I tend to move my hand when using anything from bottom row of keys except space bar.

 

[coldmeat]

I voted for all options, yey haven't even thought about this before.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Narf! Poit!

 

[palswim]

Narf! Poit!

I neglected to also protect Brain!D:

 

[Ichinisan]

I don't get it, OP.

Ctrl+Tab is super-comfortable. I think my hands are normal-size...maybe slightly big.

 

[BoomerD]

Join the Yakuza...they have a procedure that will protect your pinky...

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_r9kRdupso...5WOA/s400/Yakusa+finger+USB+flash+drive+2.jpg

 

[Eli]

Ctrl-Shift-Tab is also a very comfortable position for me. My hand is more or less just resting with my pinky on ctrl, ring finger on shift and middle finger on tab.

 

[palswim]

I don't get it, OP.

Ctrl+Tab is super-comfortable. I think my hands are normal-size...maybe slightly big.

Yeah, I think my hands are smaller.

But, in my "resting" position, my pinkie hovers over the Shift or Z keys and my ring finger hovers over Q or W. So, to do a Ctrl+Tab, I generally lower my pinkie to the Control key and then twist and stretch my hand so that I reach the Tab key as well.

 

[Schfifty Five]

Use your thumb on control and index on Tab.