Copying code must be a thought-free process. When you hear a character, you should know, without thinking, what it is. In fact, copying above about 10 wpm can only be done by reflex. Above that speed, thought processes are too slow to succeed. That's why slow code is a deadly trap, and why traditional amateur methods of code training are so painful and frustrating.
Most hams are told to memorize all the characters, then start building their speed.
This process shuts down from overload at about 10 wpm. Code training, then, should completely bypass the lookup-table phase and begin by building copying proficiency as a reflex. This was recognized in the 1930s by a German psychologist named Koch, who devised the most efficient method known for Morse training. It's his method, and how you can use it, that we're going to examine in detail. Morse Training by the Koch Method Koch's method is a simple, direct way of building reflexes.