Eyeglasses for shooting pool

efirkey

efirkey

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I am 41 years old and my eye sight has gotten progressively worse. I didn't wear glasses at all 5 years ago and now I wear them almost all the time. I first needed them strictly for reading. However, when I try to shoot pool the top of the glasses get in my line of sight and I can't use them. If I take them off everything is blurry especially for the first half hour and it is killing my game. I am an "A" player, but not when I can't see.

How have others who have been in this situation coped? What do I need to do? I can't stand not being able to play up to my potential and I am seriously considering quiting the game because of it? Any suggestions are greatly welcomed. thanks.
 
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I just never could get used to wearing glasses while shooting pool. I've worn em since I was 12 and I absolutely need them to see clearly. I've been wearing glasses for work and more or less using contact lenses just to play pool. This is so my eyes get a good break from wearing contacts.
 
I have been okay with wearing glasses, I focus on my cueball control to get shape so that I don't have to worry about distance shots. As mentioned by gunzby, I tried contacts and my eyes dried out too quickly thus becoming uncomfortable with eye strain after a period of time so I stuck with glasses. My friends use glasses too and using a sports eyeglass strap to keep the glasses taute again the nose so it does not droop down. That seems to work for them so that the upper part of the frame does not get in the way when down on a shot. I, myself, change my posture so that I tilt my head more upward when down on the shot or I have a more upright position.

Last but not least, get regular check ups with your optometrist. Something might need to be adjusted or you might need to do eye muscle strengthening exercises to maintain a certain level of focus.


bigshooter said:
Billiard glasses look a little odd but they do the job well, someone on the forum here knows an optometrist that makes these, I can't remember who it is right now.
http://www.billiard-eyeglasses.com/
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Those are not bad looking, would make some people look like Paul Newman!
 
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Hey Eric, I feel your pain!

I ordered mine from Decot. I got the prescription info from my local eye doctor and then gave that info to Decot. Your eye doctor might even be willing to order them. I think they were under $200. They are oversized lenses, and they sit relatively high so you don't have that problem of the top of the frame being in the way.

http://www.sportglasses.com/cart/shopdisplaycategories.asp

When do you want to take a ride over to Hooksett? ;):thumbup:
 
1pocket said:
Hey Eric, I feel your pain!

I ordered mine from Decot. I got the prescription info from my local eye doctor and then gave that info to Decot. Your eye doctor might even be willing to order them. I think they were under $200. They are oversized lenses, and they sit relatively high so you don't have that problem of the top of the frame being in the way.

http://www.sportglasses.com/cart/shopdisplaycategories.asp

When do you want to take a ride over to Hooksett? ;):thumbup:
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Hi Steve,

Are you currently using them? how do you like them? Do you know which glasses you got from Decot? I am highly interested.

Would love to play anytime?
 
efirkey said:
Hi Steve,

Are you currently using them? how do you like them? Do you know which glasses you got from Decot? I am highly interested.

Would love to play anytime?
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I always have them with me in my cue case, but don't always wear them. While I was half blind I developed some aiming techniques that work all right even with the blur, if I'm playing a casual game, lol. But they really do work. I got the clear lenses.

I'll be in Hooksett Wed night 5-9 PM if you want to come by. Or let me know when else would be a good time (evening or weekend).
 
I have been playing since i was 13 and am now 62. I am a very good player. But my eyesight is not as good as it once was on long shots.Years ago when i could see well a world class player taught me to sight thru the long shot to the rail and aim at a spot on it. This worked very good even when i could see well. So now even though it is still a little fuzzy i still look thru the ball to a spot on the rail and it works pretty good.I don't wear glasses to play just to read printed material that has been made smaller to save ink. Also if you take a chance and play to get closer to the object ball it will help. I guess this is why all us old guys wind up in one-pocket hell. No long shots !:frown:
 
I would definitely recommend Decot glasses. I wear them for competitive shotgun shooting where the clay pigeon is usually rising as you prepare to shoot. I would also recommend talking to Doug the eye doc on this forum. He goes by DWBOD. If anyone would understand the needs of poolplayers, Doug would be the guy...

Good luck!

Steve
 
Welcome to the World of getting Old...... LOL

Decot is the best way to go if you want to wear glasses. I do think that contacts are best over all. Get with your doctor and let him give you a few different samples of different strengths. This way you can try them out and see what is best for you.
Just don't give up. Let us know how you make out.
 
I got and wore Decots shooting glasses for several years and spent a few hundred bucks on them. They were a pain to carry with me all the time.. taking up room in the case and having to be either adjusted for regular use or play or taken off and on... and ... as has been noted.. they look kind of funny :) and I admit to being a bit vain.

Then I discovered Wedgees. I'm serious. Wedgees are a little gadget that fit on the glasses.. behind the ears and keep your glasses riding high where you won't see the tops of the rims.

I love'm. They're cheap as hell and easy to carry around in the cue case or loose in your pocket or on a key chain or in the car, coat pocket, anywhere. I don't go anywhere without them... just in case I get a chance to play some pool.

They really do work and I don't have to carry around another set of expensive glasses!

www.wedgees.com 3 pairs for $10 is a real bargain.
 
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Thanks, I just ordered a bunch:thumbup:

JimS said:
I got and wore Decots shooting glasses for several years. Then I discovered Wedgees. I'm serious. Wedgees are a little gadget that fit on the glasses.. behind the ears and keep your glasses riding high where you won't see the tops of the rims. I love'm. They're cheap as hell and easy to carry around in the cue case or loose in your pocket or on a key chain or in the car, coat pocket, anywhere. I don't go anywhere without them... just in case I get a chance to play some pool.


They really do work and I don't have to carry around another set of expensive glasses!

www.wedgees.com 3 pairs for $10 is a real bargain.
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claymont said:
Thanks, I just ordered a bunch:thumbup:
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Your welcome. They really are the nuts... for me. I have lineless bifocals/trifocals and I don't know if that makes a difference.

They recommend that the wedgee be turned about 45 degrees out.. so they wedge against the ear.

I followed instructions and immediately experienced total failure!... and I was getting pissed off.. and then I realized that I have BIG ears that stick out from the side of my head a ways. I turned the wedge about 80 to 90 degrees... almost perpendicular to the glasses frame, and they worked perfect. My glasses don't fall down and they stay high enough on my nose that I don't see them when I'm playing.
 
Have you ever considered eye training? It takes a few minutes every day but really does work unless you have a bad astigamtism. It's all over the web. It won't get your eyes to 100 % but it could improve them enough for shooting pool.
 
eyeglasses

i'm near sited and wear glasses. i,m 34 years old. i wore regular glasses for years playing pool and stilll do. Last year a friend of mine told me about billard eyeglasses .com i was complainning to him about having to squint to push my glasses up when i bend over to shoot a shot. he side these glasses would help my game. i ordered apair it was easy to do dr. gordon harrison is great to do deal with as he is the one who makes your glasses and uses the best lens material in the world. I PROMISE YOU YOUR GAME WILL PICK AT LEAST A BALL. you will be able to comfortable to line up better and be comfortable in your stane your stroke will improve. hope this helps. professor P.S howard vickery wore these glasses an so does many others , he all so makes karens lens
 
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=33552&highlight=glasses

Look through this thread. My glasses are in post #7, complete with picture.

This is a recurring topic that pops up several times a year. I think the consensus is the best solutions in order of affectiveness are:

1. Corrective surgery
2. Contacts
3. "pool specific" glasses

Some of us don't trust surgery or want contacts (me). So the pool specific glasses are night and day better than regular glasses. My game jumped a ball overnight when I switched to them, after playing with normal glasses for 10 years.
 
I have a pair of Randolph Engineering XLW's for shotgunning that I like well, but I would feel like a dork wearing those to the pool hall. For pool, I really like Oakley Whiskers. They sit high on the bridge of the nose and close to the face. The lense is large enough to look through while bent over the table without interference of the frame. Plus they're stylish and you won't look like a goofball.

Jim
 
iusedtoberich said:
This is a recurring topic that pops up several times a year. I think the consensus is the best solutions in order of affectiveness are:

1. Corrective surgery
2. Contacts
3. "pool specific" glasses

Some of us don't trust surgery or want contacts (me).
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For those people who want to stay with contact lenses, there's a hybrid contact lens on the market called Synergeyes contact lenses. These lenses are supposed to combine the comfort of soft contact lenses with the sharper vision that hard contact lenses offer.

I've tried them recently and for the most part, they're working out great. With these new lenses, my game has improved dramatically over the soft contact lenses that I had before. Here's their web site if you'd like more information: synergeyes.com .
 
Contacts

I had to switch to contacts.
I had too much trouble re focusing from the cue ball to the object ball.In fact now, I have my right eye with a contact for distance and my left eye with one for closeup.
There was no way i was going to try bifocals!
 
Thank you everyone for the advice. I think I am going to make an appointment with my eye doctor and discuss my choices. I am leaning towards contacts if I am a good candidate.
 
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