Alright guys, I enjoy playing this game a lot, but I'm not very good at it.  I usually play with buddies so 2v2 or 3v3, but alone I suck.  If I'm with a group I'm decent, but only because I know that my boys have my back.  One thing that I really struggle with is setting up groupings for hotkeys.  I do a whole lot of point and click which I know is at least part of the reason I'm still in Bronze and not going anywhere anytime soon.  I struggle to force myself to use the hotkeys.  I know the basics, but does anyone have any advice on how to train myself to use the hotkeys?   
 
Any advice would be awesome. 
 
Thanks, 
 
MD.

You mean the control group hotkeys, right? Well, start slow, only use a few at a time until you gain confidence with them. Start out with putting your command centre/nexus/hatchery as 4 or 5, and your army as 3 or something. If you are Terran or Protoss, put your warpgates/barracks on 6. This way you can have your camera on your army in their base but still be tapping 4,5,6 in order to check on your macro. No matter where you are on the field you can still be macroing. I'd suggest starting out with just the command centre one, and once you are comfortable with always making workers, bring in the warpgate/barracks hotkey. Once you are confident with this you can start splitting up your units (such as having a hotkey just for sentries in order to use forcefield and guardian shield) and doing more advanced things. Also, keeping a drone on 1 and only using that one for building is helpful too. If that was confusing, Day9 has a really helpful video on the subject right here:  http://day9tv.blip.tv/file/4712303/

as protoss warpgates are automatically assigned to W                  you should hotkey your robo bays or stargates instead to 3 or something. it took a while but im just getting okay with the grouping now.
also the first unit in your group is the one thats abilities will show when you click the group. so you will need to hotkey your other spellcasters seperately. 
like if sentries are first and then zealots and then stalkers. when you hit your group hotkey only the sentry abilites will show. you will need to click the stalkers seperately to use blink.

Change the hotkeys in the options menu to something you find comfortable and something you think you'll remember. I changed my hotkeys so that they make sense to my brain. What I mean by that is that I've changed them to letters that I associate with a certain upgrade or ability. For example, I've changed the Overlord Transport upgrade to D(D for Drop) and the Infestor Energy upgrade to E.(E for Energy)
I've changed nearly all of them like this and then just forced myself to use them. It's tough in the beginning, but it pays off in the end.

The only thing I can tell you is: force yourself to use hotkeys for everything. I mean literally. If it takes you 15 seconds to read what the hotkey for your Marine is and to find it on the keyboard -- it doesn't matter, use the hotkey, just don't click. Don't force yourself to remember them, go and check what the hotkey is and you'll learn them by heart eventually. 
 
For control groups (ctrl+number etc.), start by grouping your nexus/command center/hatchery as one number, and your army as some other number. Eventually add unit producing buildings as your control groups too, once the whole process feels more natural to you. Don't worry if you think you're being too slow, the speed of your actions will start getting faster gradually. Once you get used to your control groups, you won't be able to live without them. 
 
Also, check this video out --  http://blip.tv/file/4712303.

I hotkey all my units and abilities - in addition to their usual, pre-set shortcuts - to 'Q', 'E', 'R' and 'D' ('W' stands for warpgates so I can't change it). That way whenever I want to make a unit I'm not used to build and I don't remember its original hotkey I can just tap one of the QERD keys (for expamle, a warp prism is listed as the 2nd unit at the Robo facility - I can just glance at its position in the lower-right corner and I instantly know I have to press 'E' to build one). I do the same with upgrades (instead of wondering what the hell is the hotkey for the graviton catapult I just press 'Q', same with hallucination, armor upgrades, etc.).
 
As far as the control groups go, I usually use '4' for my Nexi, some combination of 1-3 for my main army (spellcasters, stalkers, etc.), my 1st special mouse button for my Robos and Stargates and my 2nd special mouse button for my forges, councils, templar archives, robo bays, etc (all tech structures so I can research and upgrade easily).

@tunaburn said:

" as protoss warpgates are automatically assigned to W                  you should hotkey your robo bays or stargates instead to 3 or something. it took a while but im just getting okay with the grouping now. also the first unit in your group is the one thats abilities will show when you click the group. so you will need to hotkey your other spellcasters seperately.  like if sentries are first and then zealots and then stalkers. when you hit your group hotkey only the sentry abilites will show. you will need to click the stalkers seperately to use blink. "

really all you have to do is turn on the thing that shows the key labels on the box in the lower right, and force yourself to use that and not click. i did it recently, and it only took about 6 games to go from 100% clicking boxes to 100% building with hotkeys. i still leave the labels on, for some upgrades i don't get as often or whatever, but overall it's all off memory. 
 
i also haven't messed with grid or custom hotkeys, but that might help as well i guess, zerg defaults are pretty easy and make sense.

1. The hotkeys are now customizable
2. You can have the game show you the hotkeys during the game so you don't have to memorize anything but read and press the button. 

NO

" @imsh_pl: there is a preset key layout called grid which does that and I think anyone start out should use that instead of learning the name based ones imo "

" @imsh_pl: there is a preset key layout called grid which does that and I think anyone start out should use that instead of learning the name based ones imo "

 I wouldn't advise learning everything at once.  Master the building hotkeys one day.  Then learn the production hotkeys.  Then the unit abilities.  I just played a bunch til I learned everything, but I wish I did it a bit more structured like that.

Also, I know I never used to group my buildings, but it's kind of essential (select buildings, Ctrl key+number).  Like, I set multiple command centers to 0 and hit S on all of em to make sure I'm making a bunch of SCV's, or have quick access to all available scans or mules.  I use 7 for all my barracks, and just spam A and D (marines and marauders).  8 for factories, etc.  But for buildings everyone has their own comfort zone.  Whatever works for you.
 
Of course, stuff like A for attack, H for hold position, and S for stop is essential.  For microing or retreating basic units I click away, hit S to stop and fire, then click away again.  Don't know if that's the right way to do it but it helps.
 
And army control groups... I tend to split them by unit type.  Infantry as 1, tanks as 2, flying as 3.  Maybe have my whole army on 4 for basic movement.  Again, there is no set in stone way.

" P for probes, which is on the opposite side of the keyboard from most other hotkeys.  M for marines etc. "

" @Ben_H said:

" P for probes, which is on the opposite side of the keyboard from most other hotkeys.  M for marines etc. "

i thought E was probes?

dont allow yourself to click anything in the box on the lower right, if you forget a key hover over the button with your mouse to find out what key it is but dont click it with the mouse 
if you dont remember a key the self punishment of the wasted time hovering over the button is bearable but not gonna destroy you in bronze... 
 
the only real way to learn the hotkeys is to force yourself to though, no one here can help...

" @onimonkii said:

" @Ben_H said:

" P for probes, which is on the opposite side of the keyboard from most other hotkeys.  M for marines etc. "

i thought E was probes?

He's talking about the classic layout. SC1 hotkey layout. "

" @Thule said:

" @onimonkii said:

" @Ben_H said:

" P for probes, which is on the opposite side of the keyboard from most other hotkeys.  M for marines etc. "

i thought E was probes?

He's talking about the classic layout. SC1 hotkey layout. "

ah i haven't messed with it, i assumed he just meant the regular one. "