is good vision overrated?

fan-tum

fan-tum

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Inspired by Berlowmj's thread about glasses, I'd like to ask glasses wearers if they play better with specs than without. For one, I play exactly the same. Of course my vision(nearsighted) needs only slight correction. And this post is mainly directed to those who need specs for watching t.v, driving, etc.
 
Randy9Ball

Randy9Ball

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Having to adjust to wearing glasses while shooting pool has been torture on my game to say the least. I ended up getting some glasses designed specifically for playing pool (both Dycots and a pair by Gordon Harrison in Canada). I like the glasses by Gordon the best as they are more comfortable. However, I still hate playing with glasses.

Like most people, I think having good vision at the table is a prerequisite to good shooting. Especially on the big tables with long shots and extreme cut shots. However, I have read that the late great Steve Mizerak had poor eyesight and he played without glasses. Go figure. There have been discussions about this topic in other threads on this forum. You may want to do a search.
 
whitewolf

whitewolf

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
fan-tum said:
Inspired by Berlowmj's thread about glasses, I'd like to ask glasses wearers if they play better with specs than without. For one, I play exactly the same. Of course my vision(nearsighted) needs only slight correction. And this post is mainly directed to those who need specs for watching t.v, driving, etc.
Click to expand...

No, it is not overrated, at least for people with terrible vision.

I could only see the big letter on the chart and my glasses made the balls like TINY, and I shot like sh!t wearing them.

Contacts and then laser vision surgery gave me progressively better corrections.
 
StevenPWaldon

StevenPWaldon

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Depends on the person, I think. There's a guy a play with regularly, Frank. When we start a set, he always tosses the coin, I call it in the air, and it lands... then he asks, "What is it?" Without glasses on, the man can't see to save his life. All the balls look fuzzy to him, but they manage to find a pocket regardless.

Me on the other hand, I don't play as well when I my vision is uncorrected (glasses/contacts). But surprisingly, I don't play too terribly when I don't have them in. I'm very near-sighted and can only focus 8-10 inches away from my eyes. Everything after that is a blur. When I first tried shooting without contacts/glasses, I was surprised that I was able to pocket balls decently without being able to see. So much of my game is based around angles and "feel" anyway, so I never have used a contact point to focus on when lining up or stroking.
 
catscradle

catscradle

<< 2 all-time greats
Silver Member
fan-tum said:
Inspired by Berlowmj's thread about glasses, I'd like to ask glasses wearers if they play better with specs than without. For one, I play exactly the same. Of course my vision(nearsighted) needs only slight correction. And this post is mainly directed to those who need specs for watching t.v, driving, etc.
Click to expand...

Definitely not over-rated. With the right Rx I can cut shots with the best of them... without them I'd better be within a foot of the pocket and about the same distance cueball to object ball.
 
steev

steev

Lazy User
Silver Member
Vision is pretty dang important. As one of the lucky ones (20/10), I can tell you the advantage is sizeable. I've played with a lot of people with different vision, and sometimes I feel like I'm cheating, especially on 9' tables.

<knocks on wood> I hope I never find out what it's like to wear glasses...

-s
 
A

axejunkie

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'm about 20/25 with my contacts and honestly feel it doesn't affect my game. My eyes seem sensitive to light so sometimes when a ball is in the middle of the table and the light shines right on it, it can throw me off.

I do have trouble with long shots due to poor lighting, i.e. shooting the 6 ball on green cloth when it's near the rail. But to me that's a light issue not sight issue.
 
catpool9

catpool9

"Rack Um"/ Rusty Lock
Silver Member
Sight

Well I'll take good vision over bad anyday, when I was in my 20's I had 20/10 vision, in my 30's 20/15, now i'm 49 and have 20/20 vision and thats considered perfect vision, although I don't need glasses, I fell as if I'm Blind now!.....( don't have that real "Crisp Clear" sight picture that I once had )

....some older pool players that wear glasses have told me that they use the reflection (of the light's) off the light's, on the object ball, to get a good reference point of aim for long shots, .....

.....I've tried this just to see what they were talking about, and it seemed to work to a certain degree.



David Harcrow
 
Last edited:
cigardave

cigardave

Who's got a light?
Silver Member
IMO, excellent vision is an advantage... especially on thin cuts... and even more so, those that are short to the OB, long to the hole shots... where the cut angle has to be damn near perfect to make the ball. On those, I'll typically put on my pool glasses.
 
M

MBTaylor

Banned
Vision is hugely important whether you have naturally good vision, lens corrected vision or Lasik.

Personally, I can't see a damn thing without my glasses. I don't think I would make 1 out of 10 straight in shots without my glasses...lol
 
Flipmode

Flipmode

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Lol

MBTaylor said:
Vision is hugely important whether you have naturally good vision, lens corrected vision or Lasik.

Personally, I can't see a damn thing without my glasses. I don't think I would make 1 out of 10 straight in shots without my glasses...lol
Click to expand...

So how is that different from when you do have your glasses on? :D
 
pwd72s

pwd72s

recreational banger
Silver Member
cigardave said:
IMO, excellent vision is an advantage... especially on thin cuts... and even more so, those that are short to the OB, long to the hole shots... where the cut angle has to be damn near perfect to make the ball. On those, I'll typically put on my pool glasses.
Click to expand...


I can't argue with that...I'm 20-400 in both eyes without glasses. Glasses correct, but things look farther away to me than people with good vision...instead of 9'...a table looks more like 12' to me...

Still, I play...as a casual banger, simply because it's fun to do so...no pretentions of becoming a top level player.

Oh...I have a pair of Decot Hi-Wydes...at least now I can look through lenses when I get down to shoot.
 
catpool9

catpool9

"Rack Um"/ Rusty Lock
Silver Member
Dead Money said:
Yes. Everyone knows that in their prime Hellen Keller and Ray Charles were stone cold killers on the pool table.
Click to expand...

HeHe, that was Funny!, I liked that one!:D



David Harcrow
 
Josh Palmer

Josh Palmer

I'll take the 6 :)
Silver Member
catpool9 said:
HeHe, that was Funny!, I liked that one!:D



David Harcrow
Click to expand...


haha.. you're good peeps Dave. I just had an eye test, and was afraid I was going to fail it! Guess what? 20/13 in both eyes!!! My vision didn't seem that clear to me. I know it was damned good in my 20's. It's the floaters that tire my eyes out. Anyhow, hopefully lasik is an option when they do get worse than 20/20
 
T

TheBook

Ret Professional Goof Off
Silver Member
I never had to wear glasses until I got into my 50's. There were a pain at first but now I feel incomplete without them. Sure it would be nice not to have to wear them but that is how it is.

I don't feel that they affect my aiming or shooting, but I can always have a excuse when I miss.:D

As Clint Eastwood said in Heartbreak Ridge "You have to adapt."
 
W

wincardona

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Absolutely

Good vision in my opinion is crucial to get the most from your game. I'm 64 years old and have a little below average vision,at one time I had excellent vision and it enabled me to play the game much better with more confidence. When I was able to see the balls well I not only pocketed more balls but I also had much better controll of the cue ball in both direction,and more importantly,speed of the cue ball. Reason ,anytime you are confident where you are going to strike the object ball ,you will then be able to feel the angle and the speed of the shot,in terms of position play. You can only rely on so much when your guessing and playing general direction. Of coarse that comes from my personal experience. At 64 I can still beat any female playing onepocket,nine ball is another stoty,that yet hasn't been unraveled.
 
nympfisher

nympfisher

SEMI AMATURE
Silver Member
i wear bifocals,, i cannot shoot with them on because i get very low on the cue, i have tried a straighter posture but im so use to the low stance i would have to relearn everything.
anything over 4 foot i see double without them on so most people have learned to leave me long when possible.i still play pretty well but not great.
i have thought about lasik in right eye.. thats the bad one, but kinda expensive.
where can i find those glasses yall have spoke of ?
can you post a pic of them ?
do you buy the frames and have the lens made ?

sorry for being long winded,
carl
 
B

blackeee

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Good vision is NOT overated. I had 20-20 with my contacs and for some dumb reason decided to have laser surgery. Now I have to wear glasses{can't wear contacs anymore} and cannot see the edge of the ball. I am 61 and that probably has a little to do with it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top