When I was growing up, the concept of vision training in athletics wasn’t very prevalent. It was all about, “see the ball, hit the ball,” and if for some reason you couldn’t see, you’d pay a visit to the optometrist and get some Rec Specs.
I didn’t truly appreciate the value of vision training in athletics until I was much older, and the more I learned, the more the concept fascinated me. This was next level stuff, and it made me realize that there was so much more to athletic training than being prepared physically.
Since the turn of the century, the sports training landscape has shifted dramatically. Athletes are bigger, stronger and faster than ever before, but they’re also smarter. Today’s best athletes aren’t solely focused on outworking their counterpart physically, they are looking for an edge they can find through mental and visual preparation.
Consider the man who many consider to be the greatest hitter of All-Time - sure, Ted Williams could slug one out of the ballpark, but he was also known for having an exceptional “eye” at the plate. How great was Williams’ vision? Legend has it - 20/10 - which inevitably played a significant role in the "Splendid Splinter's" All-Time best .482 career on-base percentage.
Undoubtedly, genetics and God-given abilities played a part in Williams’ ability to see things so clearly. But, more importantly how can vision training help modern day players improve their athletic performance?
Think about the instrumental part our eyes play in our ability to perform a task - in everyday life. Our eyes communicate with the brain, which communicates with the body. Without this ebb and flow we would be lost. Sports aren’t any different. The athletes who endure this eyes, brain and body process the most effectively are the most successful.
In most cases, athletes are facing the fastest velocity they’ve ever seen from one level of competition to the next. This is particularly true for athletes fortunate enough to advance to regional, national or international competition. How does an athlete prepare for such a tall task? It all starts with vision training, and MaxBP offers velocity and breaking stuff to match the stiffest competition out there.
Tracking is one of the most underrated drills in all of sports. Following an object with the eyes at high speeds is an effective practice. No matter if an athlete is standing or sitting, maximum strength or injured - tracking is an amazing drill for vision.
This is particularly true for athletes having trouble with a ball with a little wrinkle in it. Facing a pitcher with incomparable off-speed stuff? Not to worry. MaxBP Reaction Training features curveball, cutter and slider options with a right-handed and left-handed trajectory. This will prepare your team for even the nastiest breaking stuff.
MaxBP’s small ball concept (training with golf sized wiffle balls) and user friendly portability provide teams and individuals with an unparalleled competitive edge. The vision training that athletes will experience with MaxBP is a game changer, and to experience the best results, a hitter should follow the tutelage of the Harrison Family and their Slow the Game Down (STGD) Vision Training Tools - some of the pioneers in vision training.
Ryan Harrison of Slow the Game Down Vision Training is changing the game for athletes everywhere and helping them see a brighter future. Ryan Harrison and his father, Dr. Bill Harrison, have been practicing the methods of the "Slow The Game Down" for over 40 years - from George Brett in 1971 to AL East Champions Toronto Blue Jays in 2015 and the World Series Champion San Francisco Giants in 2010, 2012 and 2014.
The Harrison's believe "everything you do in your sport begins with what you see” can help athletes develop superior eye-mind-body reactions so that their game-speed performance will automatically be enhanced. Numerous critical skills, all visual in nature, underlie an athlete's ability to get the most out of their talents.
MaxBP is proud to be partners with Slow the Game Down (STGD) Vision Training Tools, which provides all athletes with a variety of opportunities to develop superior reaction times, and enables an athlete to “slow the game down” and enhance their performance. These products include strike zone locators, jelly bean colored wiffle balls, Eye-Trac and visual performance training tools. Incorporating these methods can help your athletes capture the harmony between the mental, visual and physical components of the game - leading to impressive results.
What makes an athlete prosperous today is more complex than ever before. Physical capabilities are instrumental, but an athletes’ visual and mental capabilities are equally imperative. Consider all three athletic elements - eyes, brain and body - when allocating your practice time.