3 Air Force Exercises to Improve Your Vision

Athletes at the Air Force Academy have been performing cadet vision training exercises for more than a decade, with impressive results. The first year the baseball team used vision training, they led the nation in batting average. Since then, Air Force athletes have achieved better than 20/20 vision and improved vision drill scores by 200 to 300 percent. Get your own results with these three vision drills.

Saccadic Drill

Why do it: Enhances eye stamina and focus, which pilots need to complete precision maneuvers and athletes need for games.

How to do it:

• Assume sport-specific stance in front of two different letter charts located 10 feet apart
• Call out first letter on left chart, then rapidly move eyes to read first letter on right chart
• Progress down both charts as quickly as possible

Sets/Duration: 2x60 seconds, 1-2x per week

Eye-Hand Speed Drill

Why do it: Develops hand-eye coordination and improves ability to make split-second decisions.

How to do it:

• Assume athletic stance holding irregularly-shaped rubber reaction ball
• Bounce ball off hard surface and catch
• Change speed or distance to adjust difficulty
• Can be performed alone or with a partner

Sets/Reps: 4x8-12 with 1- to 2-minute rest between sets, 1-2x per week

Accommodation Drill

Why do it: Improves eye focus far and near.

How to do it:

• Stand 20 feet away from 36-point letter wall chart; hold nine-point letter chart about six inches from eyes
• Position hand-held chart slightly below wall chart in line of sight
• Call out first letter on wall chart, then rapidly refocus to call out first letter of hand-held chart
• Progress through both charts as quickly as possible

Sets/Duration: 2x60 seconds, 1-2x per week