Eye speed training is also referred to as "sports vision." Athletes spend countless hours training their bodies so they can get faster and stronger. Too often, the importance of one's visual system is ignored. No matter what your sport, enhanced visual performance can help to improve your overall sports performance. By properly training your visual system, you can improve your eye-hand coordination, reaction speed, eye tracking ability and depth perception. Aside from improving sports performance, eye speed training can also assist in improving your ability to read and learn.
Binocular Vision
Binocular vision is the ability to use both eyes together as a team. When your binocular vision is improved, your visual performance will improve as well. Tests such as the Saladin Near Point Balance Card can test an athlete's eye teaming ability. Enhancing an athlete's binocular vision through eye speed training can lead to improved depth perception which is critical for sports such as baseball and football among others. Binocular vision can be trained by having a friend hold a straw about 12 to 24 inches in front of you and parallel to the floor. You can then practice by inserting a tooth pick into the opening of the straw, alternating hands and alternating sides.
Reaction Time
Whether you are a baseball player, a mixed martial arts fighter or tennis player, reaction time is critical for optimum performance. Visual reaction time is the speed at which the brain interprets and then reacts to an opponent's movement. For training, stand with you back to a friend and have your friend toss a tennis ball in your direction. When the ball is in mid-flight, your friend will yell "turn." On command, turn as quick and explosively as possible, locate the ball and catch it with one hand. Alternate which direction you turn and alternate which hand you catch the ball with.
Peripheral Vision
Birds are known to have panoramic vision, which would be extremely powerful for athletes in sports such as soccer, basketball and football. Humans may not be able to achieve panoramic vision, but we can enhance our peripheral vision through eye speed training. Using sports vision devices such as light boards, you can train your peripheral vision. To do so, you are instructed to focus at the center of the board. Lights will begin to illuminate at various intensities and speed. Your goal, using your peripheral vision, is to touch each light that illuminates. This also trains your visual reaction time.
Eye-Hand Coordination
Eye-hand coordination is the ability of your arms, legs and other muscles to respond to information gathered through your brain and eyes. Sports such as racquetball, tennis, basketball and baseball require precise eye-hand coordination. In order to train your eye-hand coordination, stand on a bosu ball with one leg and have two friends standing in front of you, one flanked to each side. Each friend will alternate tossing a 4- to 6-pound medicine ball to you. They will vary the speed and height of each toss, and your goal is to catch the ball and throw it back.
Visualization
Visualization is a technique where you "see" success before it occurs. This occurs through your "mind's eye" because we actually see with our brain, not our eyes. To practice visualization, this will be more of a "passive" eye speed training technique. For example, prior to hitting that 12-foot putt, "see" the ball going into the cup using your mind's eye.
Vision and Learning
There are many eye speed training techniques that can also be used to improve a child's ability to read and learn. These techniques fall under the specialty of Developmental Vision Therapy. While eye speed training can enhance the above-average visual skills of an athlete, vision therapy is used to improve the below-average visual skills of a child. Improving visual memory can prove to be beneficial for both sports and learning. Have the athlete or child sit at a desk while you flip through a magazine or picture book, depending on the age of the child. When you come to an ad in the magazine, place it in front of the child for 15 seconds and then cover it up. The child will then try to recreate everything he remembers about the ad on a piece of paper. As the child becomes more proficient, reduce his viewing time to 10 seconds.
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