The visual skills of athletes, especially those in visually demanding sports, are essential. Focusing, tracking fast-moving objects, and reacting quickly can make a difference between winning and losing.
Often when we think of vision, we solely focus on 20/20 clarity of vision which is extremely important, however there are many more aspects to our visual system which are essential in maximizing athletic performance.
Enhancing Athletic Performance through Vision Training
Great Athletes require better than 20/20 vision, in fact over 70% of Major League Baseball players have better than 20/15 vision. While every athlete can improve their vision, it is especially important if you notice any of the following signs in your sports performance.
Inconsistent performance
Successful performance only when body is stationary, but not when in motion
Successful performance only in specific aspects of the sport
Decrease in performance as pressure increases
Discomfort during or after performance which is not related to the muscles being used
If you have noticed any of the above phenomena, there could be an underlying challenge related to a visual skill which could successfully be strengthened with the aid of a sports vision optometrist.
Which visual skills are essential for an athlete’s success?
Depth perception
Eye - hand coordination
Eye tracking
Eye focus at various distances
Reaction time
Peripheral vision
Visualization
Visual processing
Visual memory
In addition, it’s important to mention that achieving effective visual skills can help with the self-confidence of athletes of all ages and stages.
Visual Training's Impact on Sports from Baseball to Archery
Professional and amateur athletes have been using sports vision training to improve core visual skills. For example the University of Cincinnati Baseball team showed improvements of 10% or more across all tracked batting parameters after sports vision training.
Some examples include:
Baseball: batters are required to hit pitches thrown at speeds as fast as 100mph, leaving them less time than it takes to blink to decide whether and how to swing
Tennis: the entire aim is to keep track of a small, fast-moving ball, so you can hit it back onto your opponent’s side of the field, making eye tracking a vital skill
Hockey or cycling: the athlete must clearly see and track moving objects, such as a puck and other athletes, while they are also in motion
Basketball: the athlete must know where teammates and opponents are positioned, and use that information to move up the court at speed while avoiding the opponents
Archery: heightened visual concentration allows a professional to tune out everything except the target so they can make the perfect shot
The examples are endless, as all sports and physical activity are completely tied to the athlete’s visual abilities.In sports, nearly 80% of perceptual input is visual.
Start Your Journey Towards Better Vision With an Amplify EyeCare Optometrist Near You
Amplify EyeCare is a team of a passionate and experienced optometrists practicing eye care at the cutting edge of technology and vision science. We are growing with new locations coming across the US.
