Ever wondered why so many athletes see so much in such little time? That crucial moment when a basketball player decides whether to shoot the ball or pass it on to a better positioned teammate, or when the baseball is flying toward the batter, who must decide from the way the ball is rotating whether it is a worth a swing or just needs a soft tap to avoid the the strike zone. If you think it is because of experience and practice, then maybe you are correct. But you might want to consider the significance of vision training in the formula.
So how does a wide receiver, who is running full speed, able to track both the football flying past the field and the defensive behind him and on his heels? It is very evident that athletes need exceptional vision for a great performance, and more and more coaches are looking at something new to include in the training sessions. One interesting way of improving overall sports performance is vision training.
While the concept has been around for years, it is only recently that research is able to back up the fact that it does work. Now it can be said with more confidence that it is possible to train an individual to see better and clear it without having to rely on glasses or undergoing a surgical procedure.
Vision training is not a new idea, but now it is getting more and more validation from vision scientists, neurologists, optometrists, and psychophysicists, which is something that Mark Blumenkranz, an ophthalmology professor at the Stanford University Medical School strongly agrees upon.
Vision Training and Its Relation to the Eyesight
While most people who are familiar with vision training think it is connected to improving eyesight, it actually has little to do with it. The techniques, which is a form of perceptual learning, lean toward the improvement of the mind’s ability to process what is seen by the eye.
The concept behind vision training is to repeatedly activate a person’s visual sensory neurons so that the ability to send electrical signals between cells improve. Not using the sensory neurons regularly weakens any transmission, and may affect a person’s ability to quickly process images and make fast decisions, especially in sports and other physical activities.
Neuroscientist Dr. Bernhard Sabel of the Otto von Guericke University in Magdeburg, Germany likens sensory neurons to muscles in that if people do not use them, they begin to deteriorate. He says it applies to both partially blind individuals and athletes.
Vision Training Strategies
While most people who are familiar with vision training think it is connected to improving eyesight, it actually has little to do with it. The techniques, which is a form of perceptual learning, lean toward the improvement of the mind’s ability to process what is seen by the eye.
The concept behind vision training is to repeatedly activate a person’s visual sensory neurons so that the ability to send electrical signals between cells improve. Not using the sensory neurons regularly weakens any transmission, and may affect a person’s ability to quickly process images and make fast decisions, especially in sports and other physical activities.
Neuroscientist Dr. Bernhard Sabel of the Otto von Guericke University in Magdeburg, Germany likens sensory neurons to muscles in that if people do not use them, they begin to deteriorate. He says it applies to both partially blind individuals and athletes.
Vision Training Strategies
Knotted Beads – By focusing your eyes sequentially on the series of beads knotted at specific intervals on a length of string, with one end held at the tip of the nose, you can improve convergence. The goal is to calibrate the inward turning of your eyes in order to maintain binocular vision, as well as your eyes’ ability to focus near and far.
Light Boards – Some companies including Vision Coach and Dynavision create light boards that can strengthen people’s peripheral vision. Users are asked to engage in a game that resembles whack-a-mole, smacking at lightbulbs when they turn on, while trying to stare straight ahead.
Video Games – Even point and shoot video games are a form of vision training, especially when players are challenged to shoot targets that become increasingly harder to track and aim at.
Custom Vision Training – Some companies, educational institutions, and scientific research facilities create their own custom vision training through specially designed computer programs.
Vision training is certainly worth trying if you want to improve your sports performance or just want to better utilize the remarkable potential of your eyes and brain. For more eye health-related posts, check out http://www.arizonaretinalspecialists.com/ today.