Training Peripheral Vision

**coach13** · 03-16-2010, 01:23 PM

I find it useful to stay abreast of developments in this area -- visual skills, brain skills, etc. Quick example from their news items :

Peripheral vision drill to develop athletic skills
27-December-2009 | Brain Skills | Michael Johnson Performance Center | Link

For this drill, all you need is a bucket, some tennis balls, and two people.

One person stands with the bucket at their feet. The other person sets up about 2 meters away with all of the tennis balls.

The person with the tennis balls tosses one to the person with the bucket, who uses one hand to grab the tennis ball out of the air, drop it in the bucket, and set up for the next incoming ball.

After a few times through, the catcher recognizes that they do not need to change their focus from the ball to the bucket.

They can find the bucket using their peripheral vision and maintain focus on catching the incoming tennis balls.

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They do have a Badminton Zone, but it is not yet active.

**Fidget** · 03-16-2010, 05:28 PM

Originally Posted by visor

I see...
May I suggest playing first person shooter video games?
It would train both your peripheral vision and reflexes.

Is there literature on this?

It seems highly unlikely that staring at a screen right in front of you can help your peripheral vision. Even the biggest screen is only in the front 20 degrees of vision.

**raymond** · 03-17-2010, 12:13 AM

Originally Posted by Fidget

Is there literature on this?

It seems highly unlikely that staring at a screen right in front of you can help your peripheral vision. Even the biggest screen is only in the front 20 degrees of vision.

What do you think of this link then?

http://www.sportsvisionmagazine.com/...at-drills.html

**Fidget** · 03-17-2010, 12:59 AM

Originally Posted by raymond

What do you think of this link then?

http://www.sportsvisionmagazine.com/...at-drills.html

I'd say that I can see WQKE. But also the speakers beside my monitor and the clutter beyond that.

It's a nice exercise but it doesn't prove that video gamers spotting a sniper at the top left of their 19" screen are improving their peripheral vision.

**raymond** · 03-17-2010, 01:21 AM

Originally Posted by Fidget

I'd say that I can see WQKE. But also the speakers beside my monitor and the clutter beyond that.

It's a nice exercise but it doesn't prove that video gamers spotting a sniper at the top left of their 19" screen are improving their peripheral vision.

I don't really have any problem with the size of the screen. Presumably if/when you play video games, your 10" monitor would be much closer to you than your opponent on court, even when you're on front court playing net shot.

Your visual coverage would probably increase in distance.

What I don't understand with the magazine advocated article is the need to tell one letter from another. Firstly, is it realistic? I mean, how do I know that I didn't really lose focus of the red dot at center while I try to tell an A from a D surrounding it. Maybe my eyeballs do move ever so slightly, and loses focus of the red dot. Does that count? Would it help in real badminton game if I lose focus of the birdy for the same fraction of a second?

Secondly, do I need that level of details about what is around the shuttle? My opponent would be much bigger in size compared to the shuttle, and her movement would be more apparent.

**Fidget** · 03-17-2010, 05:00 PM

The point about discerning which letter is that it means that you are really seeing it .... just like you want to be sure that you see, out of the corner of your eye, that your opponent is moving to the net as you desperately reach for that bird going behind you in the forehand back corner.

As for how to tell if you are "cheating" by moving your eyes on that chart test ... you should be able to sense that if you've done the exercise a few times.
(However, when I do crude peripheral field testing for driver's license exams, you would be surprised how many people think they are fooling me with quick little glances before "facing front" again.

)

**raymond** · 03-17-2010, 09:27 PM

Originally Posted by Fidget

The point about discerning which letter is that it means that you are really seeing it .... just like you want to be sure that you see, out of the corner of your eye, that your opponent is moving to the net as you desperately reach for that bird going behind you in the forehand back corner.

)

Not really. The point of peripheral awareness is that you keep your focus on the birdy, while you "sense" your opponent's presence, his distance from your position, and movement (is he moving away, as in the case of moving to rear court, right after his net drop?). You don't need to refocus your eyes to see this. You just sense it. However, to do the drill on the website, I don't see how anyone can do it correctly without re-focus. The lack of proper focus is one reason while some of us need eyeglasses.

Again, in the case of the drill, you don't really need to refocus to be able to tell there is something near the red dot.

**Fidget** · 03-18-2010, 06:26 AM

Originally Posted by raymond

.... You don't need to refocus your eyes to see this. You just sense it.
... Again, in the case of the drill, you don't really need to refocus to be able to tell there is something near the red dot.

Good points.

So in the final analysis, you and I agree that practicing 'awareness' on the court is better than playing Call of Duty.

Cheers.

**coach13** · 03-18-2010, 09:52 AM

Central focused vision spans only 3% of the visual field -- anything outside of the central focused vision engages the periphery.

The point of the drill is simply to lock your central vision on the red dot in order to condition your peripheral awareness (it is not a visual acuity test). It is one drill among many that can be used to develop peripheral awareness -- the tennis ball-bucket drill above, and certain video games like Call of Duty are others.

The challenge in training peripheral awareness on the court is to ensure that such practice is deliberate and purposeful.

**chris-ccc** · 03-18-2010, 07:49 PM

Originally Posted by raymond

When you use deception at the net (withholding your shot), do you need to know if your opponent is actually deceived?

It seems you'd have a decision to make in that split second, and you'd need information. How do you get that piece of information if you don't use peripheral vision?

.
The concept of deception at Badminton is to trick your opponent.

A common deception is to get your opponent wrong-footed (moving/running in the wrong direction). Another is to get your opponent to move/place his/her racket-head in the wrong position. Peripheral vision is not required.

An example (hold the shot and flick):
Your opponent can be postioned nearer to the net, say two metres away (after a 'good' net-play from him/her)). There is a big space behind your opponent for you to hit the shuttlecock to. But you can still pretend to perform a net-play stroke to lure your opponent to move further forward, nearer to the net. You hold the shot, and as your opponent transfers his/her weight to move forward, you flick the shuttlecock over his/her head.

Another example (hold the shot and smash into the opposite space):
Your opponent can be postioned exactly at the center of his/her court (after a 'bad' lift of the shuttlecock from him/her). There is equal space to the right/left of him/her. Your opponent expects a smash from you. His/her racket-head is positioned about knee high right in front of the body. You can pretend to smash to the right side. You hold the shot, and as your opponent moves his/her racket-head to the right side, you smash the shuttlecock to the left side.
.

**brandnew** · 06-27-2012, 07:21 AM

Peripheral vision is truly amazing and you can train it.
Just take a look at the articles here:
http://www.navaching.com/hawkeen/nwalk.html

These guys did an amazing research. Actually night walking is fun on its own but the skills it encompasses look like what raymond was asking about in original post.

An other thing I found is the soft eyes technique.
Instructions from NLP course
http://www.nlp-now.co.uk/softeyes.htm
Quotes in context of martial arts
http://seeinganew.tripod.com/id21.html
Context of Carlos Castaneda's practices
http://seeinganew.tripod.com/id9.html
A beautiful exercise for activating your peripheral circuitry in the brain
http://www.eaglespiritministry.com/shared/esa4.htm

I find new skills are best learned through an activity that promotes best practice for that particular skill. When you become confident with new skill go back and practice with it like with a new tool/toy

I hope that helps.