Sports Vision

Listed in the chart are various visual requirements that are required for a particular sport. The difference between an amateur and a professional is sometimes the "MENTAL EDGE" which as you are beginning to understand involves total vision and not just eyesight. Many individuals seek out Behavioral Optometrists providing this type of specialized care to gain enhancement of their visual abilities and increased visual skills related to a persons sports or hobbies.

Signs and Symptoms of Potential Difficulties
Performance worsens with high stress situations
Eye-hand coordination difficulties
Practice does not seem to increase performance
Inconsistent performance
Better performance on one side, or in one direction, than the other
Avoiding sports or getting frustrated when participating in sports
Fatigue easily

Visual skill level required for sports
Scoring 1 = Not related      5 = Extremely Important

Visual Acuity

Dynamic Visual Acuity

Ocular Motor Skill

Eye-Hand Coordination

Stereopsis 3D

Focus

Central Peripheral Awareness

Visual Reaction Time

Visual Adjustability

Visualization

Archery

4

1

3

5

2

3

5

1

1

2

Baseball hit

4

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

Baseball pitch

3

2

3

4

3

3

5

1

3

5

Basketball

3

3

4

5

5

3

5

5

5

5

Bowling

2

1

3

5

3

2

4

1

3

4

Boxing

2

2

5

5

3

3

5

5

5

4

Football (Quarterback)

4

5

5

5

5

3

5

5

5

5

Golf

3

1

4

5

5

3

5

1

3

5

Gymnastics

1

3

3

5

5

3

5

1

3

5

Pool

2

1

4

5

5

2

3

1

4

5

Race car driving

5

5

5

4

5

5

5

5

5

5

Running

1

1

2

1

1

1

4

3

1

4

Skiing

5

5

5

5

5

3

5

5

5

5

Soccer

3

4

5

5

5

3

5

5

5

5

Swimming

1

1

1

1

1

1

4

3

1

4

Tennis

4

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

Track (high jump)

1

3

3

4

4

3

3

4

4

4

Track (pole vault)

1

3

3

5

5

3

4

4

4

5

Wrestling

2

1

1

3

2

1

3

5

5

4


Arnold Shieman, O.D. Mervick, NY     Chairman of the American Optometric Associations' Sports Vision Section

Home Page Vision vs Eyesight

4 L's of Learning to See

Evaluation

Symptoms

Case History

Treatment of 5 F's of Vision

Causes

Neurology

Traumatic Brain Injury

Vision and Learning Difficulties

Sports

Craniopathy

Vision Conditions

Binocularity

Research

Glossary

Disclaimer

USA Clinics

UK Clinics

@OIC Systems 1998-2001 All Rights Reserved