Races are lost in the first five seconds. Most players burst at the countdown, mistype twice, and spend the rest of the race catching up. A calm start wins more races than fast fingers.
Count down, do not jump
Use the countdown to place fingers and read the first three words. Starting clean is worth more than starting 200 milliseconds early.
Never look at opponents mid-race
Checking positions breaks rhythm and costs a full second each glance. Race your own ghost: steady pace, single corrections, no peeking until the final stretch.
Warm up with one solo test
Cold fingers make cold starts. One one-minute solo test before queuing raises your first-race average noticeably.
Put this guide to work
Open a test and practise what you just read.