The Efficacy of Vision Training in Collegiate Baseball Hitting Performance

There has been a surge of research on vision training and its implications in a sports setting over the past decade. A large body of research is available on the implementation of ophthalmology-based vision training exercises for athletes and performance on a standardized task that tests eye-hand coordination through a sport-specific skill. However, there remains a gap in the literature on the implications of vision training for on-field performance. To help fill this gap, the present study examines the efficacy of a vision training on hitting performance through a pitching simulation that approaches game-like with the Northwestern College Varsity Baseball Team. Hitting performance of the Varsity and Junior Varsity control groups was first assessed with 40 pitches thrown by a pitching machine followed by a 9-week vision training program including a battery of vision training exercises performed by Varsity hitters. Following the training program the hitters were retested and results of the Varsity and Junior Varsity control groups were analyzed. The present research adds to the small body of research investigating the impact of vision training for on-field performance benefits secondary to improvements in eye-hand coordination that occur by taking part in a vision training program