A different perspective on the role of visual skills in sports performance

Introduction

The role of vision in sports performance is a topic that has been studied quite extensively over the years [1]. According to Stine et al [2] investigations should attempt to provide answers to three basic questions: 1. Do athletes have better skills than non-athletes or do better athletes have better visual skills: 2. Are these visual skills trainable: 3. If these abilities are trainable does this training result in better sports performance. There is an abundance of reports in the literature in support of these statements but there are also studies rejecting these claims [1]. Quite often these conflicting views are the result of a one dimensional view of the functioning of the visual system rather than separating the visual system into an information gathering system and an information processing system. Abernethy [3], using a computer analogue, referred to this as the hardware and software of the visual system. A clear distinction is needed since we believe that athletes do have superior information processing systems rather than superior information gathering systems.

Methods

Two separate studies were performed. In the first study the visual skills of professional rugby players were compared with that of a group of amateur players. In the second study the visual skills of two different age group (15 and 17 years of age) rugby players were investigated. In both studies a sports vision test battery consisting of 11 vision and vision related tests were employed. The aim of both studies was to determine if there is a statistical significant (p< 0.05) difference in the visual skills in these groups.

Results

The results clearly indicated that the professional rugby players out performed (p<0.05) the amateur players only on the visual skills that relate to the visual information processing system. The age group players, who are all part of an elite rugby academy programme did not provide any significant differences on all the skills tested. However, when compared with the professional players they also performed significantly worst (p< 0.05) on the visual processing skills.

Discussion / Conclusions

Vision is the ability to perceive, select and to interpret information presented to the system. When investigating the role of the visual system in sports performance it is important to understand the interaction between environmental demands on the system, optical properties of the eye and the functional properties of the visual perceptual system. The results of the present two studies do suggest that the information processing system is far more important than the information gathering system. An ineffective gathering system may however limit proper visual processing and should therefore not be ignored. According to Milner and Goodale [4] the traditional distinction between the ‘what’ and ‘where’ in the visual system should make way for a ‘what’ and ‘how’ approach. Thus the emphasis should be to develop the ‘how’ abilities of athletes.

References

[1]. Ferreira JT. (2003). SA Optom, 62(4),
[2]. Stine et al. (1982). J Am. Optom Assoc, 53(8,) 627- 633
[3]. Abernethy B (1996). Am. J Sports Med, 24(6), 89-92
[4]. Milner & Goodale. (1995). Oxford University Press, 219