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VISUAL Function Of Eyes In Curling As Compared To Baseball

     Contrast a curler aligning a shot  to the skip's target brush much the same as a baseball pitcher aligning a pitch to the catcher's target glove.
     With this scenario in mind, I offer a cheaper "dry lab"/empirical study as a P. Eng. for curling vs. the expensive ($100,000+ study of baseball players)  by noted USA MDs.
I have "taken" information gathered by Messrs. -- Authors:
Daniel M. Laby, Arthur L. Rosenbaum, David G. Kirschen, John L. Davidson, Louis J. Rosenbaum, Charles Strasser, and Michael F. Mellman of their study of "Visual Function Of Eyes" and adapted some obvious related information to curling with possibly some assumable accuracy.

                                                       DOMINANT Eye Theory in Curling
I have been made aware of several coaches' ideas of eye dominance in the way they teach curling. These coaches are of CCA taught origin. Their consensus is that you center the rock on delivery to one side under the dominant eye. For those of you who don't want to plow through my long comparative to baseball dissertation, I will give my quick answer here after review of several MDs' data.
     In the first place, do you know which of your two eyes is dominant? Just because you are right handed does not mean you are right eye dominant! Any and all sports that rely upon a high degree of convergence accuracy as with a ball coming to or going away relies heavily on both eyes with each making a contribution to overall acuity.     This being the case, it is my view that baseball, soccer, football, curling, golf, racquet ball, tennis and all other ball sports rely on looking at the target with both eyes "squared up and level" with the target -- an incoming ball or outgoing throw/pitch. In every case of highly skilled players doing a repetitive activity, they align themselves such that both eyes are equidistant and level with the target. When there is a variation from this alignment, the overall percentage of "made" shots/batting hits or pitches deteriorates.
    Baseball players may stand sideways to the incoming ball but note the twisted upper torso and twisted neck to align the head/eyes to a perpendicular configuration to allow both eyes to accurately transmit their share of needed data to the mind banks for evaluation and re-transmitting to the effectors/muscles.

The purpose of baseball related eye study:
"To measure the visual acuity, stereo acuity, and contrast sensitivity of professional baseball players.
Methods:
Three hundred eighty-seven professional baseball players underwent several tests of visual function including distance visual acuity. Stereo acuity was evaluated at near by the Randot test and at distance by both contour and random dot targets. Distance stereo acuity was also tested under timed and un-timed conditions. Contrast sensitivity was evaluated by the Vision Contrast Test System, Contrast Sensitivity Viewer, and Binocular Visual Acuity Tester."

Information gathered from the study showed that major league baseball players have an overall higher visual acuity than placebo people. Now I could have guessed that fact without spending the $100,000.

All "pun" fun aside, the doctors made it evident that all people have a dominant eye but in baseball this fact does not alter hitting or pitching ability. They even went so far as to say with studies there is no indication that cross-eyed "dominance" does not make a left eyed dominant right hand hitter any better or worse a hitter than a right eyed dominant right hand hitter. Again, knowing a little basic anatomy would tell you that no two bodily systems are alike as no two limbs, organs, eyes, et. al. are identically alike in precise form and information sensing and transmittal to different portions of the brain for evaluation.
In summary:
     The better your eyes, acuity, steroopsis, contrast sensitivity the better you will be at visual related sports If You Use Your Eyes Correctly. In curling, this means a "level" and "square" to the line of sight body with the line of sight slide and rock handle precisely centered under the nose -- the center of the eyes. An added note: Those baseball players with distance corrected glasses/contacts and with the other desired eye qualities play, throw/hit, as well as those not wearing glasses.
Your E-mail discussion response would be appreciated: curling2000 @telusplanet. net
JKR, The Curling Doctor