Our vision is not only about how well we can see things around us, but it also involves 17 different visual skills that enable smooth, accurate, and precise eye movements for comfortable and clear vision. These visual skills are necessary for many daily activities, including reading, writing, and sports performance.
Let’s talk about the visual skills essential for optimal sports performance and the role of eye exams in sports vision and performance.
Visual Skills That Are Necessary for Optimal Sports Performance
According to optometrist.org, the following are the skills that are essential for the optimal sports performance of an athlete.
- Dynamic visual activity– This allows you to see objects clearly while you and the other objects are moving quickly.
- Eye tracking–Eye tracking is a visual skill that allows an athlete to always keep their eyes on objects, such as a ball, without moving their head. This also enables them to maintain a better balance and respond to a situation quickly.
- Eye focusing–This allows athletes to change focus quickly and accurately between two near and far distances.
- Peripheral vision–This visual skill allows the person to see images or objects from the corner of the eye while fixating on the target.
- Depth perception– This skill helps an athlete judge quickly and accurately the distance and speed of the object.
- Visual reaction time–This skill allows an athlete to interpret and react to the action of their opponents promptly.
- Eye-hand coordination– This allows an athlete to react to incoming visual information with accurate body (hand) movement.
- Visualization– Visualization allows an athlete to imagine themselves succeeding while concentrating on something else.
- Visual concentration–This allows an athlete to maintain focus on their target or an object with the presence of distracting factors in the field of vision.
Sports and Performance Vision and Eye Exam
Whether you struggle to track the ball or other players, over or underestimate distances, experience difficulty catching or throwing, or notice poor sports performance even with strong athletic skills, consider having an eye exam from an ophthalmologist.
An ophthalmologist can tailor a comprehensive eye exam for patients participating in sports and physically demanding activities. A comprehensive eye exam can:
- Diagnose eye injuries that are common in sports, such as retinal detachments, corneal abrasions, conjunctival injuries, and orbital fractures.
- Recognizes vision problems related to concussion, such as blurred or double vision, light sensitivity, problem with eye teaming, and eye tracking difficulties.
- Evaluate skills specific to sports performance, such as visual acuity, depth perception, peripheral vision, visual tracking, and eye-hand coordination.
- Identify any visual impairments that might hinder sports performance and develop a tailored plan to improve these visual impairments.
- Educate patients about the importance of sports-safe eye wear in eye injury prevention.
- Provide education on the significance of regular eye exams and sports vision training for enhancing sports performance and reducing the risk of eye-related sports injuries.
Best Eye Doctor in Washington, MO
If you think your sports performance does not measure up to your athletic abilities and your vision problems are to blame, visit us at Advanced Sight Center. Our eye center offers comprehensive and leading-edge eye care, including state-of-the-art eye exams, treatment of eye diseases, cataract surgery, and others. We also have an optical boutique to address your contact lenses or eye wear needs.
If you would like to schedule a one-on-one appointment with our ophthalmologist or optimist, please call our office in Washington, MO, at (636) 239-1650 or use our online appointment request form.
