You may not have heard the term “sports vision,” but it’s quickly becoming a key concept in the world of sports. Simply put, it refers to the visual skills essential for athletic performance.
Humans rely on their five senses to gather information from the outside world. Vision accounts for over 80% of the information we use to make decisions and act. So it’s no surprise that visual information plays a massive role in sports.
This article aims to explain the concept of sports vision in an easy-to-understand way, helping you recognize its importance and improve your athletic performance.
What is Sports Vision?
The study of sports vision began in the late 1970s in the U.S. and was introduced to Japan in the 1980s. It’s still a developing field of study, with much more research to come.
Here, we’ll break down the key components of sports vision identified in current research, using specific examples from volleyball to make each concept clear.
Static Visual Acuity
This is the ability to see stationary objects clearly—the same vision measured in a standard eye exam. If your static visual acuity is low, everything will appear blurry, putting you at a significant disadvantage. Since this skill cannot be improved through training, vision correction like glasses or contacts is necessary.
Dynamic Visual Acuity
This is the ability to see and track moving objects. It’s a crucial skill for players in sports like volleyball, baseball, and table tennis, where objects move at high speeds. The fastest spikes in men’s volleyball can exceed 100 km/h (62 mph), making strong dynamic visual acuity essential for digging a ball.
Peripheral Vision
The ability to see objects and movement in your side vision while looking straight ahead. In volleyball, a setter with excellent peripheral vision can accurately see the positions of their hitters and the opposing blockers, allowing them to make a better set and put their team in an advantageous position.
Eye Movement
The ability to move your eyes quickly and accurately to track multiple moving objects. This involves coordinated movement of both eyes to focus on the target. In volleyball, this skill allows a blocker to track both the ball and multiple attackers on the opposing side, helping them make a quick, smart decision.
Contrast Sensitivity
The ability to see differences in shades and color contrasts, from bright to dark.
Depth Perception
The ability to judge the distance and spatial relationships between objects. A setter with good depth perception can accurately judge the distance between themselves and their hitter, allowing them to deliver a perfect high-set.
Momentary Vision
The ability to accurately perceive a large amount of information in an instant. A hitter with excellent momentary vision can not only see the ball but also simultaneously assess the opposing team’s blockers, defenders, and court positioning in a flash, significantly increasing their chances of scoring.
Eye-Hand Coordination
The ability to react quickly and accurately to what you see. A libero with great eye-hand coordination can see an attacker place a tip in front of them and react quickly enough to save the ball.
Why Improving Sports Vision Boosts Performance
After reading about the components of sports vision, its importance should be clear. Since over 80% of human information gathering relies on sight, training your visual system is a crucial way to improve your performance in sports, especially in a fast-paced game like volleyball where split-second decisions are constantly required.
So, what are the most important sports vision elements for volleyball?
- Static Visual Acuity
- Dynamic Visual Acuity
- Peripheral Vision
- Eye Movement
- Depth Perception
- Momentary Vision
- Eye-Hand Coordination
Yes, that’s almost all of them!
And that’s my conclusion. Whether you’re an athlete aiming for the top, a coach developing future players, or just someone who wants to get better and enjoy the game more, improving your sports vision is non-negotiable.
Volleyball: A “Game of Decisions”
Volleyball is often called a “game of decisions.” To make the best decisions, you need to input a large amount of correct information quickly and accurately. And to do that, sports vision is essential. Mastering it could be the key to mastering the game of volleyball itself.
