Vision for success

Imagine having better than 20/20 vision. What a great gift that might be for cricketers, footballers, sharpshooters and more.

In theory, such heightened ability exists. Elite athletes have visual acuity approaching 20/12 – 20/8 is meant to be the highest possible human level. Visual prowess of that order signals a special knack for judging how to swat a bowled ball, among other areas.

‘In sports or performance vision we are working with people who have nothing wrong but want to see better and use their vision more efficiently. This not only can help in sports performance, but also in every day life, for example driving on a foggy afternoon,’ says sports vision specialist Dr Daniel Laby — associate clinical professor and director of Sports and Performance Vision Centre at SUNY College of Optometry in New York.