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To keep their eye on the ball, batters mostly use their heads
How do hitters track pitches in baseball? Study in optometry and vision science gives new insights
Philadelphia, Pa. (January 7, 2014) - Baseball players at bat follow coaches' advice to "keep your eye on the ball"—but head movements play a surprisingly important role in tracking pitches, suggests a study in Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.
The findings lend new insights into how batters accomplish the complex task of tracking a pitched ball—and might even lead to new strategies designed to improve their ability to see pitches, according to the study by Nicklaus F. Fogt, OD, PhD, FAAO, and Aaron B., Zimmerman, OD, MS, FAAO, of The Ohio State University College of Optometry.
Here Comes the Pitch—Where Are the Batter's Eyes?
Drs Fogt and Zimmerman designed an experimental setup to monitor eye and head tracking movements in a group of 15 Division I collegiate baseball players. The players tracked, but did not swing at, a large number of balls pitched by a pneumatic pitching machine. Eye and head movements were synchronized with trajectory of the pitches.
"On average, eye gaze position matched the target position well throughout the trajectory," according to the researchers. But most of the time the ball was in the air, the players tracked it with their head—they moved their eyes very little until late in the pitch trajectory.
The pitches took about 400 milliseconds (ie, four-tenths) of a second to complete their trajectory; the players did not move their eyes until between 340 and 380 milliseconds. Although head movements varied between players, they seemed to follow a common strategy of "neural coupling" between eye and head movements.
Experiments included a task in which players were to call out colors (red or black) and numbers written on the pitched balls. However, their performance in calling out the correct colors and numbers was not significantly better than chance. Surprisingly, the players' static visual acuity (as measured on an eye chart) averaged slightly less than normal.
Possible Implications for Vision Training in Baseball Players
The findings are consistent with a previous study of pitch tracking in a Major League Baseball player. But they contrast with studies of fielders, who primarily track fly balls to the point where it will land, but move both their eyes and head when attempting to catch the ball.
"Hitting a baseball is a remarkably difficult task," Drs Fogt and Zimmerman write. For a pitch traveling 90 miles per hour, the batter has only about one-fourth of a second to decide "when and at what location the ball will arrive and whether to swing the bat." The new study was designed to assess the eye and head movement strategies used in tracking pitched balls, and whether they were consistent between players.
In the new study, "Division I college baseline players applied a strategy in which the eye was moved very little with any correctional eye movements until late in the pitch trajectory while the head was aimed at the ball," according to the authors. They add, "It will be interesting in the future to compare tracking strategies to hitting success, and tracking strategies of elite players to those of novice players."
It's unknown whether vision training can lead to improved on-field performance—although Drs Fogt and Zimmerman note that one collegiate baseball team reported a large increase in batting average after incorporating a vision training regimen into their practice. The researchers conclude, "By better identifying the physiologic capabilities and gaze behaviors of baseball players, it may become possible to develop more precise vision training strategies for players of all calibers."
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About Optometry and Vision Science
Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry, is the most authoritative source for current developments in optometry, physiological optics, and vision science. This frequently cited monthly scientific journal has served primary eye care practitioners for more than 75 years, promoting vital interdisciplinary exchange among optometrists and vision scientists worldwide.
About the American Academy of Optometry
Founded in 1922, the American Academy of Optometry is committed to promoting the art and science of vision care through lifelong learning. All members of the Academy are dedicated to the highest standards of optometric practice through clinical care, education or research.
About Wolters Kluwer Health
Wolters Kluwer Health is a leading global provider of information, business intelligence and point-of-care solutions for the healthcare industry. Serving more than 150 countries and territories worldwide, Wolters Kluwer Health's customers include professionals, institutions and students in medicine, nursing, allied health and pharmacy. Major brands include Health Language®, Lexicomp®, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Medicom®, Medknow, Ovid®, Pharmacy OneSource®, ProVation® Medical and UpToDate®.
Wolters Kluwer Health is part of Wolters Kluwer, a market-leading global information services company. Wolters Kluwer had 2012 annual revenues of €3.6 billion ($4.6 billion), employs approximately 19,000 people worldwide, and maintains operations in over 40 countries across Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. Follow our official Twitter handle: @WKHealth.
To keep their eye on the ball, batters mostly use their heads
How do hitters track pitches in baseball? Study in optometry and vision science gives new insights
2014-01-07
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[Press-News.org] To keep their eye on the ball, batters mostly use their headsHow do hitters track pitches in baseball? Study in optometry and vision science gives new insights