August 13, 2024

Why Goalkeepers Need Strong Visual Skills

Sports require athletes to be in peak physical condition to play at their best. This doesn?t just include arms and legs, but eyes too. This is especially true for goalkeepers, who need lightning-fast reflexes and…
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Opto-Mization Optometry & Vision Therapy

Goalkeeper blocking a goalSports require athletes to be in peak physical condition to play at their best. This doesn?t just include arms and legs, but eyes too. This is especially true for goalkeepers, who need lightning-fast reflexes and incredibly accurate vision skills to guard the goal and catch or deflect the puck or ball and prevent that scoring shot.

Our eye care professionals at Opto-mization NeuroVisual Performance can help goalies and other athletes, both amateur and pro, improve their functional vision with sports vision training.

What Visual Skills Does a Goalkeeper Need?

Goalies need to master a range of visual skills in order to prevent the opposing team from scoring. Convergence and divergence, as well as the ability to alternate between them quickly and accurately, are among the most important.

Convergence

Convergence is the eyes? ability to efficiently and accurately focus on an object as it moves toward you, and up close. Professional soccer players send the ball flying at the net at an average of 70 miles per hour, and a hockey puck in the NHL can be slapped at the goal at a blistering 100 miles per hour. This means that for penalty shots and other fast-moving, close-up plays a goalkeeper?s eyes can have mere fractions of a second to accurately converge on the ball or puck before the goalkeeper needs to decide where to move their body and how to react.

Poor convergence can mean that the goalie?s eyes are too slow to converge on the target, or that they don?t converge accurately, leading to  double vision as the ball or puck is incoming.

Either of these situations can make it difficult, if not impossible, to make the save during a fast-paced play.

Divergence

Divergence is the eyes? ability to efficiently and accurately focus on objects at a distance, and as they move away. This skill is vital for goalkeepers, who need to save shots taken from halfway down the field or ice, and to accurately judge the position and flight of the ball or puck. Divergence also allows the goalkeeper to track shots that rebound out, as well as the movements of the puck or ball in case the opposing team quickly takes another shot.

Poor divergence makes it challenging for the goalie to find or track the target from farther out, or as it moves away from them, from close range into the distance.

Alternating

Being able to efficiently alternate between convergence and divergence is also vital in a fast-moving game. Consider the following play-by-play:

  • Using divergence, a goalkeeper can track a ball or puck from far down the field or ice, until a shot is taken.
  • As the shot comes closer in, they engage their convergence to track it moving toward them.
  • They make a successful save, resulting in a rebound out. Divergence is engaged as the ball or puck moves away from them once again.
  • Within fractions of a second, an opposing player may recover the puck or ball, and attempt another shot. The shot is incoming again, and convergence is re-engaged.

The goalkeeper has only seconds or even fractions of a second to respond, re-focus, and respond again.

How Can Sports Vision Training Help?

Sports vision training is a personalized regimen of eye exercises prescribed by eye doctors to help athletes perfect the visual skills that are most essential for their sport.

Working through the prescribed exercises retrains the athlete?s brain to work faster and more effectively with their eyes, improving convergence, divergence and other visual-motor and spatial skills.

Sports vision training can help goalkeepers of all ages and abilities gain the visual skills they need to stay on top of their game, block shots and save the day.

Have questions about how we can help you play your best game? Visit us or call our office today.

Our practice serves patients from Victoria, Nanaimo, Duncan, and Vancouver Island, British Columbia and surrounding communities.

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Our Victoria Practice
Opto-Mization Optometry & Vision Therapy
200-775 Topaz Ave
Victoria, BC V8T 4Z7
Phone
(250) 590-7384
Fax
250-412-6459
Email
(Do not send personal health information by email.)
  • Monday:
    8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
  • Tuesday:
    8:30 AM - 6:00 PM
  • Wednesday:
    8:30 AM - 6:00 PM
  • Thursday:
    8:30 AM - 6:00 PM
  • Friday:
    8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
  • Saturday:
    8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
  • Sunday:
    Closed
Rating
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Out of 265 Reviews
Our Nanaimo Practice
Opto-Mization Optometry & Vision Therapy
205-1825 Bowen Rd
Nanaimo, BC V9S 1H1
Phone
(250) 591-0270
Fax
250-412-6459
Email
(Do not send personal health information by email.)
  • Monday:
    10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
  • Tuesday:
    10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
  • Wednesday:
    10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
  • Thursday:
    11:00 AM - 5:30 PM
  • Friday:
    9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
  • Saturday:
    Closed
  • Sunday:
    Closed
Rating
4.9
Out of 59 Reviews

You Ask, We'll Answer

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  • What is Neuro-Optometry?

    Neuro-Optometry focuses on the intricate connection between your visual system and the brain, extending beyond traditional eye care to assess functional vision. This branch of optometry examines how your eyes track, move, coordinate, and how your brain processes depth, motion, and balance. Disruptions in these functions can lead to a range of issues including headaches, migraines, dizziness, balance challenges, post-concussion symptoms, reading difficulties, and attention deficits (ADHD). By exploring these functional areas, we also identify opportunities to enhance performance in activities such as sports, reading speed, and cognitive processes.

  • What is Vision Therapy?

    At Opto-Mization, vision therapy is a specialized, personalized program aimed at improving visual skills and abilities. It goes beyond traditional vision therapy to help improve how the eyes and brain work together, addressing visual-motor and perceptual-cognitive challenges to enhance overall visual function. It’s more than just exercises; it’s a pathway to better vision and improved daily life.

  • Do you Provide Regular Eye Exams and General Optometric Services?

    Yes, alongside vision therapy and neuro-optometry, we offer comprehensive eye exams and general optometry services. Our experienced optometrists perform thorough eye exams to evaluate overall eye health, identify any eye conditions or diseases, and prescribe corrective lenses when beneficial.

  • Who is the Ideal Candidate for Vision Therapy and Neuro-Optometry?

    Vision therapy and neuro-optometric rehabilitation can help individuals of all ages. Whether you’re struggling with visual processing issues, binocular vision disorders, amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus (eye misalignment), or have sustained a brain injury, our services might be beneficial for you. Contact us to discuss if our tailored approach can meet your specific needs and goals.

  • Do I Need a Referral to See an Optometrist at Opto-Mization?

    No, you do not need a referral for an eye exam at Opto-Mization. We welcome anyone who suspects they might benefit from our services, whether you’re experiencing symptoms of visual discomfort or just want to ensure optimal visual performance. Feel free to reach out and schedule your appointment directly with us to take the first step toward understanding and improving your visual function.

  • Do You Direct Bill Insurance?

    Yes, we offer direct billing for a variety of insurance plans to make the process as seamless and hassle-free as possible for our patients. Our knowledgeable staff is well-versed in working with insurance providers, ensuring that you can maximize your benefits while minimizing out-of-pocket expenses for our services, including vision therapy and eye exams.