Training with the Vector® Ball engages the brain's executive functions, synchronizing them with body movements. These functions include rapid decision-making, visual information processing, and motor coordination. By introducing unpredictable and complex elements into the exercises, the athlete develops their ability to react quickly and accurately, thus improving their cognitive and physical skills. This helps strengthen the brain-body connection for optimized athletic performance.
Professional competence and vision: the impact of vision on our operational performance
38% of the French population practices a sport , regardless of the level!
If you are a sportsman yourself, you probably find it difficult to imagine practicing your sports without good eyesight.
How can you play tennis or ping-pong if you can't see the ball clearly, or shoot a bow and arrow if you can't see the target clearly?
How can you play rugby, football, basketball, or handball if you can't see the field, your teammates, and your opponents clearly?
Without a doubt, having good vision is key to good athletic performance.
So why would it be any different for the operational spectrum?
But to what extent are these two elements linked, particularly among high-level operators?
And how can we improve our vision if we want to improve our operational performance?
Several studies have revealed that athletes have better visual abilities than non-athletes.
Indeed, they have:
- An expanded field of vision
- Improved side vision
- Improved eye movement
- Improved eye coordination both near and far
- A wider field of motion perception
- Better simultaneous viewing
- A refined perception of depth
- Improved dynamic visual acuity
Visual abilities allow us to recognize and process incoming visual information more quickly and accurately. This is therefore an essential quality for performance.
Training your eyesight to improve your performance
Studies also show that all the skills mentioned above are not fixed. They can be trained and thus improved.
It is therefore easy to understand why a tactical athlete who wishes to improve their operational performance has every interest in improving their visual acuity.
Organizations are finally beginning to realize the importance of vision training and education, just like other forms of physical training. That's why they are increasingly integrating vision experts into their teams.
Therefore, here are the fundamental visual abilities to assess and work on for an athlete, especially at a high level.
Visual acuity
Visual acuity is our ability to see objects and subjects clearly with each of our eyes.
It is fundamental for having a good binocular visual system.
In everyday life, 10/10 vision is sufficient to see well and not be hindered in one's activities.
However, this level is not always sufficient for a top-level operator.
It is also noted that the average visual acuity among professional athletes is greater than 10/10.
Accommodation
Accommodation is the focusing of your eye: it allows you to see an object clearly (ball, teammate, opponent). Its flexibility and level of precision must be assessed according to the characteristics of each sport.
Depth of field
Depth of field is simply your 3D vision.
It depends directly on the ability of your eyes to work together.
Depth of field is key as it allows you to accurately assess space and distances, and thus make good passes or good shots.
Eye movement
Eye movement must be quick and precise, especially in explosive sports, because it is what allows you to change the position of your gaze from one object/subject to another.
The quality of eye movement depends on the integrity of the extraocular muscles and the nerve connections between the eyes and the brain.
Fusion
The fusion comes from the ability to use one's eyes together.
A person with impaired fusion will see double or with only one eye: the brain sometimes adapts by ignoring the information transmitted by one of the two eyes.
An operator with a deficient fusion may have inconsistent performance or encounter difficulties at times in performing certain specific actions.
Eye coordination
It is necessary to assess the flexibility and strength of eye coordination.
Any deficiency in this coordination will lead to eye strain, headaches, dizziness, and double vision.
eye resting position
Finally, the resting position of the eyes (or "eye posture") helps determine whether or not there is an ocular imbalance. Balance is essential for the proper collaborative work of both eyes.
All the parameters mentioned above can impact this resting position.
Therefore, it is appropriate for each professional to have a complete visual assessment to check and improve their visual perception abilities: speed of information processing, spatial awareness, visual integration, perception, visual memory.
The Vector® Cognitive Performance Quotient assesses an athlete's information processing speed by comparing their performance with and without cognitive elements.
For example, the athlete throws and catches the Vector® Ball against a wall for 60 seconds, then repeats the exercise with color-based instructions. This quotient allows for the measurement of cognitive delays and progress over time. It can also be applied to more complex cognitive exercises, such as working memory.
Cognitive vision training, also called neuro-visual training, is a series of exercises that improves reaction time—that is, the time it takes to respond correctly to visual information. This process includes image recognition, trajectory calculation, and muscle activation in response to perceived information. It incorporates unpredictable data to stimulate the brain to process visual information more efficiently, much like training a muscle. The more the brain is stimulated, the better it becomes.
The Vector® Ball is a cognitive visual training device that changes color randomly (red, green, or blue) with each impact. This unpredictable color variation forces the athlete to react quickly based on the visual information received, such as catching the ball with a specific hand or moving in a particular direction. This stimulates cognitive processing and improves reflexes. The Vector® Ball is considered one of the most versatile tools for cognitive visual training.
It works by emitting a brief pulse of light that randomly changes the ball's color (red, green, or blue) with each impact (bounce, catch, etc.). This random color change provides unpredictable information during exercises, enabling effective visual cognitive training. It is ideal for various neuro-visual exercises and requires no maintenance.
It has no cables, wires, or components that could be lost or damaged. The batteries are high-quality, stable, and non-lithium, ensuring safety. Eye On Ball Inc. offers a one-year warranty on the ball.
The Vector® Ball is designed to provide over 12 months of high-quality, maintenance-free visual cognitive training. Its electronic components are fully encapsulated, making the batteries non-replaceable or non-rechargeable, but they are safe, high-quality, and long-lasting (non-lithium).
Example of CVT (Cognitive Visual Training) exercise:
Wall Drill :
Throw the Vector® Ball against a wall and catch it with the hand corresponding to the color at the moment it hits the wall (green = left hand, red = right hand, blue = both hands). You can personalize the exercise by associating the colors with numbers (red = 1, green = 2, blue = 3) and ask the athlete to perform simple calculations while carrying out the exercise. The goal is to go as fast as the brain allows.
Floor Drill :
Have a partner bounce the Vector® Ball and catch it with the hand corresponding to its color when it hits the ground (green = left hand, red = right hand, blue = two hands). You can add information processing elements, such as having the athlete move toward a cone based on the color of the previous bounce, which improves working memory and agility. The goal remains to be as fast as the brain can react.
Shuttle Drill :
Bounce the Vector® Ball on the floor, and the athlete moves toward the cone corresponding to the color at the moment of impact (green = left cone, red = right cone, blue = center cone). You can customize the exercise by changing the color/cone association or adding information processing elements, such as asking the athlete to move toward several cones after multiple bounces, which improves working memory and agility. The goal is always to make the process as fast as possible for the brain.
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