Sports Vision Services at Our Yakima WA Optometry Clinic
Whether you’re a dedicated professional athlete or someone who just enjoys casual competition, you know that excellence in sports depends on tip-top physical performance above and beyond the general norm. But did you know that this principle holds equally true for your eyes and vision? Our Yakima WA optometry clinic, Yakima Vision Center, can help you achieve optimal visual performance for your chosen sport through our advanced sports vision services.
How Your Eyes Affect Your Athletic Performance
If you’ve never had any particular need for eyeglasses or other vision correction, you may wonder how your eyesight could possibly sabotage your athletic performance. But the truth is that even “perfect” 20/20 vision can encompass tiny functional errors or other flaws that can make all the difference between good performance and great performance. For instance, a small deficit in contrast perception could be contributing to mistakes on the golf course, while tiny imbalances in your eye dominance may affect your depth perception on the tennis court or baseball diamond. When objects are moving at high speeds, any insufficiency on your eye coordination can make it hard for you to follow them.
Sports Vision and Sports Eyewear
At Yakima Vision, Dr. Farmer can perform specialized vision tests aimed at the needs of your particular athletic endeavor. These evaluations may include:
- Contrast sensitivity testing
- Refractive error evaluation
- The Herschberg test (to measure eye coordination)
- The Miles and Dolman Method of checking eye dominance
If we spot tiny issues on your otherwise-perfect vision, we can prescribe exercises and other forms of sports vision therapy can help you sharpen those specific skills. “Pencil pushups” are a good example of an exercise that can sharpen your focusing abilities. Visual simulators can train your eye coordination, while eye patching can help equalize your eye dominance and thus improve depth perception.
Sports vision also means sports eyewear. In addition to equipping you with any refractive correction you might need, your eye doctor can fit you with shatter-resistant Trivex or polycarbonate goggles or glasses. You might also benefit from anti-fog polarized sunglasses for outdoor sports, or from tinted lenses to boost the contrast between particular colors. You’ll also benefit from the 100-percent UV protection we can provide for your sports eyewear.
Schedule an Eye Exam from Your Optometrist at Yakima Vision Center
If you really want to optimize your performance in your favorite sport, start by optimizing your eye and vision performance. Call (509) 965-5200 to schedule a sports vision eye exam from your optometrist in Yakima Vision Center!