Sports Vision Eye Examination
Sir Clive Woodward used sports vision coach Sherylle Calder to help England win the rugby World Cup in 2003. Four years later, Sherylle was advising the South Africans as they replaced England as World Champions.
So what is Sports Vision ?
Sports Vision starts with an acknowledgement that vision is critical to most sports.
A batsman facing a fast bowler, for instance, has a fraction of a second in which to determine the direction and length of the ball, to decide which shot to play and to execute the shot.
Much of a good sportsman's advantage over a poor one is due to their ability to anticipate what is going to happen, so they are in a position to respond to it more quickly. The clearer you can see what's happening at the moment, the easier it is to anticipate what will happen.
An assessment of the Under-14 squad at a professional football club found that all of those released by the club had significant undetected soccer-related visual skills that were below average or poor.
On a more local level, David Donner, optometrist and qualified sports vision practitioner, assessed the Sussex Under-13 badminton squad. He found a marker of visual performance that correlated with the coaches' assessment of the players' badminton ability. These and other studies have led him to an innovative approach to sports vision: one that combines visual assessments with a recognition that elite sportsmen tend to be ahead of others in their mental visual processing skills.
Coaching
Working with coaches, sports vision can be used to design training methods that enhance visual skills. For instance, peripheral awareness is important in football and rugby, but tends to be reduced when the player is under stress unless this has been overcome in coaching. In cricket, such coaching can be used to help a batsman who is having difficulty with a particular shot.
Contact Lenses
Contact Lenses are generally much better for sport than spectacles. There is now a wide range of daily disposable lenses available, which is ideal for people who only want to wear lenses occasionally, such as when they go to the gym, or play rugby. These lenses tend to be very comfortable to wear and there are even daily disposables to correct astigmatism now.
Sports Frames & Lenses
Sports Frames and Lenses are available in a wrap around style to protect from the wind. Lenses with different tints to match the conditions can be swapped into the frame and an insert can be provided for those who need a spectacle prescription. The Rudy Project range has proved very popular.
We also supply Swimming Goggles and Masks to prescription from only £29. specialised frames for Snooker and Shooting and protective goggles for Squash are also available.
Sports Vision Assessments
A sports vision assessment starts with a full eye examination to determine any eye weaknesses. Eye dominance and head position have been shown to be important in many sports. If a batsman uses one eye to sight the ball in the bowler's hand but uses the other eye for alignment when striking the ball, it will reduce their effectiveness as a batsman. Similar considerations are important for golfers.
For more information on Sports Vision, please contact us.