Vision Training In The Major Leagues

Professional athletes are always looking for a competitive edge. In baseball, batting is central to the game, statistics, and the success of a player. Baseball players at all levels of the game strive to improve their hitting statistics. One system that is often under-trained is the visual system. The eyes and their connection to the brain are central to athletic success. Improving how quickly and accurately you take in visual information during competition can improve athletic success.  

For generations professional baseball players have been looking to their eyes to improve batting statistics. Some players go by clubhouse folk lore while others choose more formal vision therapy. The one thing they have in common, they see the value to training the visual system.

Vision training is much more than baseball superstition. Research has shown the effectiveness of vision therapy for quite some time. More recently, studies have been designed to investigate vision training and its effects on athletic performance. One such study was conducted at the University of Cincinnati showed that vision training statistically improved batting averages for their baseball team without the use of rally caps. In his article Hitters Try Just About Anything to Improve Vision, Pat Graham outlines some of the techniques used by current and former professional baseball players.

The field of sports vision allows specially trained doctors to work with athletes to improve sports performance. Well designed sports vision training programs take the guess work and superstition out of vision training and replace it with structured training of the visual system. Adding vision training to your regimen can help keep you above the Mendoza Line and on track to play at the next level. The visual demands of sports are not properly evaluated by a standard eye exam, which is why every athlete who is serious about their sport should have their eyes examined by a sports vision specialist like Dr. Ryan Johnson. Dr. Johnson prescribes sports-specific vision correction and vision training individualized to you and your sport. The eyes lead the body, make sure your eyes are leading you in the right direction.