Vision & Age

The skill you need

Scan the list. Find your sport. Then check out what visual skills you need and why.

Baseball	A baseball's size and color—and the varying light conditions during play—present special issues. Players need clear, stable vision; peripheral awareness; image size accuracy; and perceptual accuracy.
Basketball	Bright courtside lighting, constant motion, and the need to accurately measure distances demand visual stability under dynamic conditions, peripheral awareness, depth perception, and focus flexibility.
Boating	From measuring true water depth to reading detailed radar screens, boating demands clear stable vision. Glare protection against the sun is also crucial.
Cycling	Cyclers maintain an unusual head/eye position, yet need to read detailed information from instruments and maps at a glance. This requires dynamic acuity and contrast sensitivity. Eye protection against wind and debris is also important.
Figure Skating	Strong eye-hand, body-foot coordination, and clear stable vision are imperative to maintain stability.
Fishing	Fishing requires good near vision for tying a line and dynamic acuity to see well while looking downward in a moving boat.
Football	For rapid reaction time under dynamic conditions, players need dynamic acuity, focus flexibility, depth perception, and good eye-hand/foot-body coordination.
Golf	The constant judgements of distance, roll of green and alignments require overall visual acuity; the game also demands superb eye-hand coordination.
Hiking	At high altitudes hikers get less oxygen and more ultraviolet light. Always use maximum ultraviolet protection.
Hockey	Players need a constant awareness of their spatial relationship to opponents and the puck—under dynamic conditions. This requires dynamic acuity, focus flexibility, and depth perception. Eye protection is highly recommended for this aggressive sport.
Running	Runners have distant focal points and need good dynamic visual acuity. They often must deal with wind and debris.
Skiing	Snow, wind, cold, and bright light combine with low oxygen and intense ultraviolet exposure under dynamic conditions to create a host of demands. Use maximum ultraviolet protection.
Soccer	For rapid reaction time under dynamic conditions players need good peripheral awareness, dynamic acuity, and eye-foot coordination.
Speed Skating	Sharp ice chips can cause serious injury without the proper eye protection.
Swimming	For efficient turning, swimmers need clear stable vision. Always use swim goggles to minimize eye irritation.
Tennis	Special challenges include prolonged visual concentration and the need to detect the ball's movement instantly. That takes sharp visual acuity, dynamic acuity, and focus flexibility. Be sure to use eye protection.