Vision Options for Athletes
& Sports Enthusiasts

Enhanced sports vision skills can give an athlete a competitive advantage. Sports vision specialists can help you improve hand-eye coordination and get good protective eyewear to prevent eye injuries. See our guide to sport lens tints for the best sunglass options for your outdoor sport.

Sport Contact Lenses
Contact lenses can give you a competitive advantage in sports, particularly when it comes to providing a wider field of view. Learn which lenses are right for your sport.

Eyeglasses That Enhance Sports Performance
What's best for your sport? Choose from glasses that offer eye protection, color enhancement, light control, convenience or a combination of features. Also, read the results of a study that correlates sports performance with wearing vision correction.

SPONSORED SECTION: Thinking About Eyeglasses or Contact Lenses?
Take this brief assessment to find out which options are right for you.

What Sports Vision Specialists Can Do for You
A sports vision specialist can assess your athletic performance, as well as offer comprehensive training.

How To Find a Good Sports Vision Doctor
Sports vision "specialists" differ in their level of expertise. Learn how to find a good sports vision doctor and what questions to ask.

Sports Vision Skills You Can Practice at Home
Learn a few simple tips that may help you improve sports vision skills such as visual memory or depth perception. Also, learn why knowing which eye is dominant can be important for certain sports such as target shooting.

Sports Vision Tests and Training
Learn how sports vision tests help you improve hand-eye coordination, depth perception, eye-tracking ability and other skills.

Sports Vision News

Breaking Curve Balls Are Only an Illusion

November 2010 — Eye tracking studies have demonstrated that those fancy, breaking curve balls batters dread so much are nothing but an illusion.

"Our central vision is very small," said researcher Arthur Shapiro, PhD, associate professor at American University in Washington D.C. "It's the size of the tip of your thumb at arm's length. When an object falls outside of that region, strange perceptions can occur."

A batter tends to switch from central to peripheral vision at the point a ball is about 20 feet away (two-thirds of the way to home plate). At the point peripheral vision takes over, the eye no longer can detect separate motions of a spinning ball.

This means the eye becomes confused by the combined motions of the velocity of the ball and how it spins, according to researcher Zhong-Lin Lu, PhD, of the University of Southern California.

When the ball reaches the plate, the batter switches back to central vision. And at this point, the ball appears to make an abrupt change or "break."

Sport Lens Tint Guide
Use this handy guide to select what type of tint you need in sunglass lenses for your sport or activity.

Sport Sunglasses
Different tints in sports sunglasses may enhance athletic performance in specific lighting conditions, such as harsh sunlight on ski slopes or overcast skies on baseball game day.

Orthokeratology for Athletes
These eye-shaping contact lenses worn only at night are a safe vision correction alternative for athletes, especially those engaged in rough sports.

Eye Safety

Protective Eyewear for Sports
Learn which sports pose a danger to your eyes, what features to look for in sports eyewear and how to get a good fit for your children.

Eyewear for Skiing
Eyewear for skiing ranges from full goggles to styles that look like sunglasses. Look for materials that withstand the cold and resist shattering on impact. Also, learn which lenses work best for skiers.

Buy Smarter: Ski Goggles
Read tips on what features to look for in your ski and snowboarding goggles, getting the best fit and where to shop.

Swim Goggles and Diving Masks
Can't see without your eyeglasses or contact lenses? You actually have quite a few choices of eyewear that will help you see what you're doing underwater.

Shooting Glasses
"You'll shoot your eye out, kid!" Ralphie hears it over and over in A Christmas Story, and it's a real concern, though not the only one. Learn what safety features to look for, and which lens types and colors are best, whether you're hunting or target shooting.

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[Page updated October 13, 2011]

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Vision Options for Athletes & Sports Enthusiasts

Eye Safety

Vision Options for Athletes
& Sports Enthusiasts