The gaming industry has certainly changed the world that we are living in. Today, there are professional gamers that are earning millions of dollars a year streaming online and playing tournaments. Honestly, this was not something that you could have predicted 20 years ago when video games had just started gaining mass popularity.
If you are reading this article, chances are you have the desire to try your luck in this field. We absolutely support you. Still, keep in mind that, in order to become competitive, you will need to make certain investments. Equipment is the key to having a good chance at online gaming.
Apart from a reliable internet connection, you will also need to get a computer with a fast CPU and a good graphics card. Not only that, but a mechanical keyboard is necessary, as well as a high-DPI mouse to give you better control.
Speaking of gaming keyboards, there are more than a few benefits with these as opposed to the cheaper gaming keyboards that are highlighted by a rubber dome. We will be leaving the differences between these two types of keyboards for another article. Right now, we want to discuss the placement of your hands when it comes to FPS and MOBA gaming.
It certainly differs from what you are used to when typing. The reason why you will want to focus on hand placement is because it can improve your overall performance. Without further ado, let’s go ahead and discuss how to place hands on keyboard for gaming purposes.
The Traditional Hand Placement for FPS Gaming
First, we will discuss traditional hand placement when it comes to playing first-person-shooters (FPS). Considering that, like most players, you are right-handed, you will want to place your right hand on the mouse.
Make sure that your middle finger is at the middle click, altering it to the secondary (right-click) when necessary. Meanwhile, the primary click should be covered by your index finger, while your thumb should be to the left side, taking care of the localizer or powerscribe tab.
Additionally, if you have a high-DPI gaming mouse, then you will find adjustment buttons on the side of the mouse. You should be using your thumb to click the buttons on the left side and your ring finger for the right side. The ring finger of your right hand should be set on the right side of the mouse (for changing the flashing colors).
Last but not least, your pinky finger is free of any duty and should be placed wherever it feels comfortable.
The placement of your fingers on the mechanical keyboard is much more important. If you are right-handed, then you will be using your left hand for this purpose.
First, your middle finger should be taking care of the W and S buttons. As for your ring finger, it should be set on A, while your index should be on D.
Keep in mind that both your pinky finger and thumb are playing an important role in the hand placement for FPS gaming.
Thus, make sure that the thumb can alternate between X/Z/C, as well as Space. Additionally, the pinky should alternate between the left Ctrl and Shift buttons.
The Alternative Method
If for whatever reason, you are not finding the aforementioned hand placement comfortable, then we have got a great alternative for you. While you should be working with the mouse the same way as the traditional method, the finger placement changes when it comes to the mechanical keyboard.
It is much simpler and involves just the use of two fingers. The first one is going to be the index finger of your left hand - it should be covering the W and S buttons.
While this may be unconventional, it is quite convenient once you get used to it. The second finger that you will be using is your left thumb. It should be taking care of more than just Space and Shift. The other five buttons that your thumb is now responsible for are C, F, R, A, and D.
Finger Placement for MOBA Gaming
There are plenty of professional gamers who are not solely focused on first-person-shooters like Call of Duty and Black Ops. Instead, they focus on Multi-Player Online Battle Arena (MOBA) games, such as DOTA 2 and League of Legends. Keep in mind that, even if you are playing these games that are less graphically demanding, you will still need good equipment.
This includes a high-CPU computer and a proper mechanical keyboard. The latter is probably the more important of the two. As for what you should be doing with the mouse, we think that the aforementioned finger placement for that is ideal. However, there are changes to the positioning of your left hand.
Your thumb should be in charge of Shift and C, as these two buttons may not be used that often but are still present in MOBA gaming. Meanwhile, your middle finger will be covering E, W, and S, altering between these three depending on how you set up the commands.
The ring finger should be on the Q and A, while your index finger will be the least engaged, working only with the R. Keep in mind that this is a traditional hand placement when it comes to MOBA gaming. However, you can certainly make changes according to what feels comfortable.
Conclusion
Mechanical keyboards are essential to proper gaming. Keep in mind that these are far easier on the fingers than the rubber dome ones. This is so important, especially if you are going to be gaming for multiple hours at a time.
The ergonomic design of a mechanical keyboard will allow you to have better hand placement. It will also contribute to your overall performance, as you will have more control over the switches.
We have done our best to highlight a couple of finger placement methods that you can experiment with. Whether you are a MOBA or an FPS gamer, it shouldn’t be that complicated. Good luck, and see you in the next match-up!
