About Sportvision

In competitive sport the difference between success and failure is measured in hundredths of a second or fractions of an inch. Uncorrected visual problems can have a dramatic effect on sporting ability, not just in terms of focusing but also balance, timing, glare recovery, fatigue and colour perception.

Despite this, many sportspeople still do not associate visual skills with sporting performance. In fact one original study found that 50% of athletes at the Lillehammer Olympics had never had their eyes tested and up to 30% attended the games with known visual problems.

Extensive research has established a direct link between visual problems and sporting performance, both for the general public who wish to participate in competitive sports and for elite athletes. This is an holistic understanding of the visual process which goes far beyond the scope of a normal eye test.

Athletes are often unaware of any specific problems with their vision, although they may feel that their game is "off" without understanding why. A sportvision assessment can help remove barriers to further improvement at all levels of sporting achievement.

These specialist visual assessments are now being made available to members of the general public as well as local sports clubs, county teams and elite athletes. There are over 70 specially trained ophthalmic and dispensing opticians around the UK, all of whom are fully qualified opticians who have gone on to study the Diploma in Sportvision Practice, and who between them make up the Association of Sportvision Practitioners.

To find your nearest Sportvision practitioner and arrange a consultation for yourself or your team please use one of the links above.