Nike, doctors team on tech to get athletes’ eyes in shape
You can’t do push-ups with your eyeballs, but doctors are discovering there are exercises that can make eyesight stronger.
Professional athletes spend countless hours improving their physical strength, speed, and agility. Now, thanks to new gadgets developed by Nike and optical science company Acuvue, high-performance professionals are working to better their vision without the need for surgery, glasses, or goggles.
For example, the Pitchback is a simple design employing a tightly wound net and a specially marked ball. The athlete throws a ball or beanbag into the net and attempts to catch it on the return flight. As the athlete’s ability to catch improves, the ball or beanbag is thrown faster into the net, and more spin can be induced by the athlete during the throw. Special markings on the ball (including letters reminiscent of an eye chart) can also be employed to add additional focus challenges—like picking up a given letter while the ball is in motion.
The Pitchback is a visual coordination tool used to improve the eyesight and performance of athletes. (Credit: Nike)
Pretty interesting idea. The eye is controlled by six different muscles and there’s no reason to think they can’t be exercised and trained to improve their performance and coordination. Fine tuning is what it’s all about in the upper echelons of athletic pursuit.