Eye of the Champion: Unlocking the Hidden Vision Secrets of Elite Athletes - Part 2

 The first chapter lays out the case for sports vision by way of an overview and will demonstrate how vision is a necessity for the best sports performance, as well as how it can be tested and ultimately improved. Beginning with a definition, and through the use of true-to-life examples, you will come to appreciate how we test vision in sports (spoiler alert: we don’t use a typical Snellen eye chart). We’ll review what is expected in sports vision as well as the main purpose of the visual system leading to optimal sports performance.

We continue to venture into the field of visual sports medicine by examining how athletes are able to interact with fast-moving targets or with a field that has many moving targets—some friendly and some adversarial. We’ll examine factors that work against the visual system, such as the speed of targets that move faster than we can follow, as well as other visual abilities that compensate for those elements and allow the athlete to perform. This is followed up by a fascinating review of the eye and brain anatomy, necessary to understanding sports vision and the areas of the brain system that we test, fix, or train. Using a photon of light, we will trace its path from the moment it hits the tear film on the surface of the cornea all the way to where a decision regarding a motor action is initiated, ultimately leading to a precise, visually guided, physical motor action.

The role of bias is a critical factor in visual-based decision-making and is the topic of the next section. Bias can be a positive influence on our sports vision decision-making or it can be harmful, leading to poor sports performance. Understanding the different types of bias and how they can affect what we see and how we act in response is critical. 

The Sports Vision Pyramid guides us through the world of sports vision. This section introduces the five levels of the pyramid, the paradigm itself and why each level is critical to sports performance. Like any longstanding pyramid, it must be built from the bottom up, optimizing each level.

In the next chapter, we take a deep dive into visual acuity and contrast sensitivity. We’re going to learn how these abilities are tested as well as how to correct them. In addition, we review the role of refractive surgery in sports vision. Don’t be afraid of these terms! We will review them in depth in the chapter. By the end of it, you’ll be a junior eye doctor!

In keeping with the Sports Vision Pyramid, after having reviewed how each eye sees individually, we’ll also review how athletes use both eyes together. As is true of the old adage, “Two eyes are better than one,” using both eyes together has very distinct advantages. Not only is basic vision better, but this act also gives us a very sensitive and special form of stereo-depth perception. Information regarding how to train depth perception as well as the differences in depth perception between different sports is presented.

We build on this in the next section, addressing the next level of the sports vision pyramid, which is focused on visual-based decision-making. Here we delve into visual attention, the ability to see targets shown only briefly, how we evaluate busy scenes, multiple target tracking with visual concentration, and the two main visual information streams: the ventral stream and the dorsal stream. In addition, the go/no-go decision, central to almost all sports, is presented. Consider returning a forehand from tennis champion Rafael Nadal. At an average speed of 122 miles an hour, there isn’t much time to decide where the ball is in and if it should be returned, or is out and should be left alone. This is one of the most difficult go/no-go decisions in all of sports, as it may lead to winning the point and the match or losing it all. We’ll learn how to train our minds to better make decisions like these.

In the next chapter, near the apex of the pyramid, we explore the concept of vision to action. We further explore concentration and a phenomenon known as the “Quiet Eye.” The idea of where vision ends and action begins is explored, along with what has been termed “middle vision.” The role of object substitution will also be presented. Finally, we will explore some of the testing systems available for the evaluation of these abilities as well as detail how to test and train them. 

The penultimate chapter presents a series of “special topics.” These special topics push the boundaries of science and sports vision and explore what is cutting edge today and what may be mainstream tomorrow. Topics such as neuroplasticity, stochastic resonance, and external brain stimulation are explored, along with eye and hand dominance. We explore coincidence anticipation timing as well as some systems to test and train this important ability.

The last chapter will help you put all this information together into a series of actionable steps that will lead to greater sports performance. Throughout each chapter, there are personal anecdotes drawn from my work with athletes over the past three decades. Additionally, I have included photos and drawings that are designed to highlight the critical points presented.

You are invited to watch the videos on the Sports Vision by Dr Laby YouTube channel. The channel has both long form as well as short form videos about many of the topics in the book as well as information on how vision impacts sports performance.

This text is not meant to be all-encompassing or the final word in sports vision. Instead, it is meant to challenge the reader to learn more and explore the field on their own, regardless of whether they are an athlete, a scientist, or an eye care provider.

In the words of the Greek philosopher and historian, Herodotus, “The purpose of education is not to fill a bucket but to light a fire.” With that in mind, it is my sincere hope that you will not only find this work interesting, helpful, and perhaps enjoyable, but that it will light the fire to learn more toward the goal of maximal sports success!