Hitting a baseball out of the park is widely regarded as one of the most difficult sporting challenges. In Major League Baseball (MLB), batters have less than half a second to meet a 90-mph fastball with the sweet spot of their bat. There is almost no other specialized action in any sport that puts a player's visual system under such strain.
So why don’t coaches and managers ask their players to utilize sports vision training to boost their performance on the field?
That’s because the value of sports vision training is underappreciated. Many athletes, parents, and coaches don’t realize the central role that visual skills play in athletic ability, and are ignorant of the numerous ways to develop them.
Recognizing A Pitch
There are many kinds of pitches: fastballs, curveballs, screwballs and more.
Batters have only a fraction of a second to identify the type of pitch and react accordingly. Keeping an eye on the ball and assessing speed, motion and direction are highly demanding for a player’s neuro-visual system.
5 Essential Visual Skills for Keeping Eyes on the Ball
- Convergence - Perfect convergence of both eyes is needed to follow a ball as it flies towards you.
- Depth perception - In order to assess the distance, speed, and direction of a fast-moving ball, accurate depth perception is needed.
- Peripheral vision - Is required to stop a base-stealer and achieve that double-play. Â
- Eye teaming - To keep track of a flying ball, the eyes must be perfectly synchronized.
- Speed of focus - Your eyes must constantly refocus when a ball is racing toward you at 70 to over 90 miles per hour.
- Visual processing speed - It’s critical for the brain to be able to quickly process all of the visual information sent to it.
Sports Vision Training for Baseball
Just as intense physical exercise helps baseball players boost their physical endurance, strength, speed and fine motor skills, sports vision training helps them improve their depth perception, focusing and visual processing speed.
A sports vision training program is customized for each player based on an evaluation of their visual skills with a specific focus on baseball requirements.
To start boosting your visual skills and performance, contact Dr. Debbie Luk at Vision Therapy Institute of Calgary today.
We train athletes from Calgary, Bridgeland , Macleod Trail, and Panorama Hills, and surrounding communities.
Q: What is sports vision training?
- A: Sports vision training is a custom-made program that improves coordination between your eyes, body and brain while playing sports. It involves exercises and techniques that help athletes process the information their eyes are sending the brain more quickly and accurately.
Q: Who can benefit from sports vision training?
- A: Whether you’re pitching or up at bat, sports vision training is perfect for anyone of any age and ability seeking to take their performance to the next level.
