CONNECTING OUR EYES, BRAIN, AND BODY CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE
Padel — Maximizing Vision for Success
Part 2: The vision skills needed to win, and how to test and train them for success
Padel is a very strategic and tactical game, requiring players to think carefully about their shots. Participants must employ a variety of visual skills in order to succeed and must react with split-second timing and incredible accuracy in order to be successful.
In this, part 2 of a two-part series, we will explore the visual requirements for success in the sport as well as how we can correct and train our vision for maximal performance. In part 1 we described the game of Padel, the rules, and how the game is played.
In fact, being a sport that requires elite vision and performance, it's not surprising that many professional athletes play Padel. In fact, Lionel Messi, the star international footballer has a Padel court in his home and has been seen playing with his former teammate Luis Suarez.
Other pro athletes that enjoy Padel include Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Gerard Pique, Francesco Totti as well as 7-time Grand Slam doubles tennis champion, Jamie Murray.
Here we will detail 5 visual skills critical to Padel performance. Maximizing each of these abilities will provide the best chance for success in this challenging sport.
Basic Visual Abilities
Basic visual abilities such as sharpness of vision, the ability to detect an object against a varied background, and the ability to appreciate targets quickly are important in Padel.
Each of these abilities combine together for optimal visual performance. In a sport such as Padel, players must be able to both accurately and quickly identify the moving ball against the varied background. This ability is eye dependent and must be optimized in each eye in order to be fully leveraged.
Fortunately, if visual sharpness is not perfect, it can be corrected with contact lenses or sports safety glasses. If contrast sensitivity is not ideal, it can be improved by using specific color-tinted lenses to increase contrast sensitivity, and if the athlete is not able to appreciate targets seen for a brief period they can undergo a specifically designed cognitive-visual training program.
Each of these interventions used independently or together can improve the basic visual abilities needed to properly and in a timely manner identify the moving ball, and gauge its speed and direction.
Stereo Depth perception
Once the vision in each eye has been optimized, then the player will be in the best position to use the two eyes together. Although we are able to make some depth judgments with one eye alone, both eyes together provide fine stereoscopic depth perception.
What is the difference between one-eye and two-eye depth perception? Consider the difference between a regular video image and a high-definition image.
For most, a regular image will suffice, but for fast-moving, small target sports such as Padel, a high-definition image will allow quicker target identification and most importantly proper target positioning in 3-dimensional space.
Given the relatively compact Padel court, being able to perfectly appreciate the ball’s position on the court provides an advantage that could be the difference between winning and losing.
It is possible to test stereo depth perception at both near and far distances, and if found to be less than ideal, additional testing and training is available to optimize this ability.
Multiple target tracking
On the Padel court, there are several targets that must be constantly tracked for success. These targets not only include the moving ball but also include two opponents (usually) as well as the net and the court’s boundaries.
Being able to track each of these, quickly and accurately, allows the athlete to place a shot in the best location to score, as well as track the opponent(s) position on the court to counter a return shot.
Multiple target tracking (MOT) can be tested and trained using a variety of different platforms and training experiences.
Visually based anticipation
Padel creates a very challenging situation for participants by allowing shots to bounce not only on the ground but also on the 4 walls surrounding the court.
Oncoming shots are hard enough to return when they approach in a straight line, but when deflected off the walls they can take on a completely different trajectory making tracking that much more difficult.
The ability to track, and more importantly, visually anticipate the direction of the moving ball becomes a critical component for success in Padel. Predicting the future position of the moving ball provides the athlete an edge in planning the motor action needed to make an accurate and timely return shot for the win.
An athlete’s anticipation ability can be tested, and trained if found to be deficient, using a variety of commercially available systems. A sports Vision specialist can design a program to optimize this ability.
Hand-eye coordination and reaction time
Seeing and predicting the ball’s movement on the court in relation to the opponent(s) is not enough to win. In order to be successful the athlete must be able to make a well-timed visually guided motor movement with their arms and hands to return the ball for the win.
Fortunately, optimal visual abilities can shorten reaction times by anticipating the ball’s position and beginning the motor reaction much earlier.
Despite this advantage, the player must begin the motor reaction within a fraction of a second in order to allow the racquet time to move into the ideal position to strike the ball. A split second late and the ball hits the net giving the point to the opponent.
Hand-Eye coordination and reaction time can be evaluated using a variety of both physical as well as virtual systems and can be trained on several platforms as well.
Padel is a relatively new sport that combines many of the features of tennis and squash in a fast-moving, tactical game that pushes the visual system to the limit.
In addition to requiring optimal physical ability, Padel requires elite visual abilities for maximal performance. Without both the physical and visual sides, players cannot expect to maximize their talent and be successful in this difficult sport.
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