How Vision Impacts Your Performance: What Every Athlete Should Know
- Dr. David Didlake, DPT
- Jan 12, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 3
Our Visual System: The Foundation of Performance
Your visual system—comprising both your eyes and brain—impacts every aspect of your athletic performance. Whether you're aligning to a ball, reading a putt, visualizing your shot, or maintaining balance, vision plays a crucial role. While our bodies have multiple systems to maintain balance (proprioceptors and vestibular canals), we rely heavily on our eyes to interpret our environment.
But what if your visual system isn't functioning optimally? Can anything be done?
Eye think so!
Understanding Your Visual System
Our eyes are remarkable anatomical structures capable of distinguishing up to 10 million colors! However, they represent only part of the visual system. Your brain processes and interprets all visual input, meaning brain function can impact vision as much as eye health itself.
How Visual Dysfunction Affects Performance
Example 1: Distance Perception Issues
When a golfer perceives a 10-yard putt as a 20-yard putt, they'll likely overshoot and miss. This visual dysfunction (known as exophoria) affects more than just putting. Signs include:
Consistently hitting the golf ball "fat"
Chipping beyond targets
Misjudging distances while driving
Frequently tripping on curbs or stairs
The good news? Visual deficits caused by exophoria or esophoria can be improved with specialized training.
Example 2: Visual Acuity Problems
Poor visual acuity typically requires an optometrist visit for corrective lenses. However, if you've struggled with poor acuity for some time, additional testing and training may be beneficial. Eyes can become unsynchronized, resulting in "suppression"—meaning even with corrected vision, your visual system may still perform sub-optimally.
Test Your Visual Function
Try this simple at-home assessment:
Place the hand on the same side as your dominant eye in front of that eye (without closing it)
Look at your palm with your dominant eye while your non-dominant eye focuses on a stationary object about 10 feet away
After 5 seconds, move your hand to cover your non-dominant eye
Note which direction the stationary object appeared to move
Results interpretation:
Object moved toward your hand: Possible exophoria (Do you hit golf balls "fat"?)
Object moved away from your hand: Possible esophoria (Do you hit golf balls "thin"?)
Object stayed in place: You may perceive objects accurately
Note: This is just one of several tests performed in clinical settings and isn't sufficient alone to determine visual dysfunction.
Beyond Basic Vision Care
Many factors can cause blurry vision—from farsightedness and cataracts to glaucoma and neuropathy. Our modern lifestyle of extended screen time conditions our eyes to focus primarily at 12-16 inches away, potentially limiting our visual range and function.
Whether you play golf, baseball, basketball, or pickleball, professional treatment can address binocular visual deficits including:
Eye suppression
Convergence excess
Convergence insufficiency
At our office, we can assess your binocular balance and determine how you perceive objects in space—crucial information for athletic performance.
Take the Next Step
If you suspect your vision might be impacting your athletic performance, schedule an appointment today to discover how we can help improve your visual system and, consequently, your game!
Here’s to your health and your vision!
Dr. David Didlake, DPT
PT, Cert. SMT/DN, CSCS, Cert. TPI Medical Level 3, Dip. Osteopractic, FAAOMPT
Owner, Integrative Therapeutics "Home of the Saint Louis Golf Doc"
Follow me @theintegrativeclinic @thestlgolfdoc
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This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before beginning any new treatment.
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