Keen vision, requisite for athletic prowess
- Charles Reams 1
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
Think of a great athlete, and most of us think of a strong, fast, and talented specimen.
However, some sports authorities list vision foremost.
Cal Ripken should know a thing or two about athleticism. Ripken, “the iron man,” played 21 seasons for the Baltimore Orioles as shortstop and third baseman. He played in 2,632 consecutive games.
Vision in sports means more than 20/20 eyesight. In encumbrances, reacting to rapidly changing surroundings, using peripheral awareness, depth perception, eye tracking, and discerning elements of an unfolding game to locate teammates and opponents, then making split-second decisions.
Now that we have context, let’s up the ante.
A Greenville human resource manager remembers having 20/10 vision while playing basketball in high school. He never missed a free throw and finished with 216 consecutive makes spanning four years.
As a wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings, Justin Jefferson’s eye perception on the gridiron is characterized by a rare combination of ambidextrous eye dominance (the ability to use either eye for tracking), flawless ball-tracking capabilities, and elite spatial awareness that allows him to read defensive leverage in real-time. Biometric data from studies at LSU identified his visual skills as “off the charts” and “superhuman,” enabling him to adjust to poorly thrown balls and make contested catches look routine.
In addition to divine endowments, Larry Fitzgerald, famed wide receiver of the Arizona Cardinals, was able to improve in spatial judgment, reaction time, and hand-eye coordination, according to Dr. Robert Johnson.
Yes, as good as they are on day one at training camp, they actually get better with practice.
Muscle memory is real.
Carlos Harper, mentioned earlier, said he could make free throws now in any gym and tell if the measurements are correct. He trusts his muscle memory more than approximations of hoop placement from gym to gym.
His wife thought he was crazy when he took a measuring tape and proved that the hoop was off by two inches.
Could scientists just be scratching the surface on the many elements required to be a world-class athlete?
Whatever the case, it would seem that vision is a good place to start.
