Vision is the most important of our five senses when it comes to sports. The eyes take in visual information and the body follows suit. Visual acuity is a measurement taken at every eye examination to see how well one can see at a set distance of twenty feet. Perfect vision is considered “20/20”. The larger the second number becomes, the worse your visual acuity. For example, a person with 20/100 vision would have to move up from 100 feet to 20 feet away from an object to see it, whereas a person with 20/20 vision can see that same target from 100 feet away. Contrast that to someone with 20/15 vision, where they can see something as well at 20 feet as someone with normal vision can see at 15 feet.
A very few fortunate athletes have vision this good without using contact lenses or corrective eyeglasses. Today, many athletes choose to use LASIK, ICL, or PRK to help them achieve their best visual acuity without needing eyeglasses or contact lenses on the court or field.
Measuring Visual Performance
A very few fortunate athletes have vision this good without using contact lenses or corrective eyeglasses. Today, many athletes choose to use LASIK, ICL, or PRK to help them achieve their best visual acuity without needing eyeglasses or contact lenses on the court or field.
Optimal visual acuity is important, but it is not the only part our visual system that is vital to visual processing. Tasks such as eye teaming/tracking, focusing, peripheral vision, dynamic acuity and depth perception, are all equally important to how well we perform in sports. At Florida Eye Specialists, we use technology originally developed by the NIKE Company called Senaptec. With this equipment, we can test for 10 different visual tasks: visual clarity, contrast sensitivity, depth perception, near-far quickness, perception span, multiple object tracking, reaction time, target capture, eye-hand coordination, and go-no-go.
We then use Senaptec Sensory Station and strobe goggles to help train your eyes and brain to work together to improve your athletic performance. The Senaptec Sensory Station and strobe goggles are a key part of Sports Vision Training, allowing us to assess your performance improvements in real time while working to improve any visual performance deficits you may have.
At Florida Eye Specialists, our customizable training programs led by Dr. Kimberly Riordan are available for every position on the court or field. Our Sports Vision Training is a pilot program with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
