Playing Glasses

Aside from the issue of objects being in focus, there is also the issue of depth perception. There is more at stake than just seeing clearly -- it is very important to your pool game that proper spatial perception is maintained. I am very near-sighted, and the lens required to correct my "intermediate" vision (3 to 12 feet) to 20/20 drastically affect my depth perception. On the other hand, I have contact lens which adequately correct my intermediate vision for pool but result in no ill effects on my depth perception. The issue of depth perception must be included in any discussion of this matter.
 
I am somewhat surprised no on has mentioned DeCot Eyeglasses. Been in business since 1949 and have billiard specific glasses and many years of experience. I have used them for close to twenty years and have had many players ask about them. They offer all sorts of customization and different sizes, some with adjustable nose bridges that allow you to raise or lower the focal point of your glasses. Many different coatings are available such as anti glare, anti scratch and a plethora of tint options.

Originally a shooters (skeet shooting) eyeglass but are great for pool due to the height of the lenses, they do make some smaller more stylish lenses and frames but I have stuck with the standard ones, I really do not care what anyone thinks of how they look especially while I watch them racking the balls for me. They are not cheap but they have one significant (at least to me) difference than all the others. The lenses come out of the frame so you can switch between lenses if you have a need to. I use mine for shooting pool and for shooting guns, so different lens options is something I like. I also opt for an upgrade in my lens material to Trivex material. It is rated for eye protection while shooting guns and is very scratch resistant with exceptional clarity..

www.decot.com

Decot Hy-Wyd - Buy The Best Handmade Shooting Glasses Made In USA

Since 1949 Decot has been setting the standards for sports eyewear with interchangeable lenses eliminating smudging and fogging.
www.decot.com www.decot.com
 
I bought Hurricane snooker glasses from Spex4less in Great Britain. They have a hinged earpiece that allows you to tilt the lenses so you're not looking over the top of the glasses. $120ish usd. I absolutely love them. If you do an internet search use the term "snooker glasses" instead of pool glasses and you'll get lots more options.
 
I used a few pool glasses in the past- both Curran& DeCot included. However, contacts always worked best for me. Problem with the pool glasses is that most peoples' eye prescriptions change every few years- that gets expensive with guys like Curran. I always preferred the contacts for serious play- and most people look much better with contacts than pool glasses!

Good News for nearsightedness and age- my eyes are now 20/40 without any correction- aging eyes will self correct for nearsightedness until you get into the cataract category- then just get that surgery and you will be back to 20/20 uncorrected.

Right now 20/40 without cataract impairment is good enough for all but the most serious pool play- I reserve my contacts for when it really matters. Someday no doubt I will have cataracts creeping up and will then act as needed to correct.
 
I want glasses like Eddie Felson got in the Color of Money . They looked cool on him . Maybe I can shoot like him once I got them
 
FWIW, I got some glasses made especially for me shooting pool at the local Walmart optometry shop for about $100 but my situation is a little unique because I have double vision. I am near sighted but not so much that I can't see the other end of a 9 footer and the CB is nice and clear.

So I had a pair of glasses made up to correct for my double vision, but nothing else. I picked out a set of frames off the rack that are ordinary looking but sit high enough that the top part of the frame doesn't intrude when I am down on the shot. After explaining to the optometrist what they were for he had me get down in the shooting position so that he could determine the vision center.

They have been working well so far. The balls no longer look blurry because of the overlapping images. From what I have read it is problematic to correct for double vision with contacts, but my dry eyes don't tolerate them anyways.
 
About half the pro Snooker players wear contact lenses or have had laser surgery. Having said that, nearly all are under the age of 50. Most being under the age of 40.

I use my regular glasses with no issues. However, in my province we get Optical coverage up to a certain amount every two years. I didn’t need new glasses so inquired about snooker type glasses that are available on line. My optometrist said not to bother as he would just write up a prescription for a custom lense and frame size that would be covered by our healthcare. Anyways, they work fine and provide a bit more range of vision but ‘not’ enough to be worth it if I had to pay out of pocket. Most of the time I still wear my regular glasses.

re contacts. I have good vision with them but don’t have the same perspective as glasses. I know this is psychological and not a vision issue. I always wear glasses Playing at home. Most likely my contacts would be fine if I ‘always’ wore them.

Dennis Taylor is known for two things...an upset win in the 1989 World
Snooker Championship and wearing his glasses upside down.

www.spex4less.com

Dennis Taylor Snooker Glasses | Pro 2 DTNS02

Dennis Taylor Pro 2 Professional Snooker Glasses (DTNS02) with extra deep lenses and low set bridge. These Dennis Taylor Snooker Glasses offer much more lens at the top of the frame when compared with standard glasses.
www.spex4less.com www.spex4less.com
 
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Protractor said:
FWIW, I got some glasses made especially for me shooting pool at the local Walmart optometry shop for about $100 but my situation is a little unique because I have double vision. I am near sighted but not so much that I can't see the other end of a 9 footer and the CB is nice and clear.

So I had a pair of glasses made up to correct for my double vision, but nothing else. I picked out a set of frames off the rack that are ordinary looking but sit high enough that the top part of the frame doesn't intrude when I am down on the shot. After explaining to the optometrist what they were for he had me get down in the shooting position so that he could determine the vision center.

They have been working well so far. The balls no longer look blurry because of the overlapping images. From what I have read it is problematic to correct for double vision with contacts, but my dry eyes don't tolerate them anyways.
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I think the next time I get down to one of our local Walmarts I will stop at the Eye place as you walk in and see if they could possibly help me. Thanks for this info.

r/DCP
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
I think the next time I get down to one of our local Walmarts I will stop at the Eye place as you walk in and see if they could possibly help me. Thanks for this info.

r/DCP
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You're welcome. I took my sweet time trying on frames and getting down in position on one of the counters in the eye ware shop to make sure I could see below the top part of the frames. If you already have such a pair of frames I would take them in and ask if they can put new lenses in. I had that done with an old set of frames once in the past.
 
Anybody notice how Grady used to squint or grimace when he got down on a shot? My theory is he started out with glasses to small for him to see through them when he was down on a shot so he squinted to move the glasses up a little higher. Eventually he got larger pool specific glasses but still squinted.
 
There are some threads about billiard glasses if you search for them.
I read all of them before deciding on Spex4less.
Here is a review I wrote from one of those threads. My problem with sight is that since I was about 50 years old I started needing bifocal or reading glasses. Other than that my sight was always 20-20 and problem free without any glasses.
The Spex4less glasses were not too expensive and they were shipped pretty quickly.
If I were still interested in a lot of tournaments, playing every night, and heavy competition, I would go for the Curran glasses.

Spex4less glasses review.

I got out for a while and played using the glasses yesterday. I was on a 9 ft table that sits a little lower than most. The glasses are a big improvement but not perfect. The focus at the cue ball is better and tolerable. The focus at any pocket distance is very good. I was impressed with that.

With some side pocket shots that are mostly perpendicular to the side rail, I noticed some concave curvature of the side rail off to the left and right of the pocket but the pocket was where it was supposed to be! Odd to see it that way but easy to get used to.

The glasses are very light weight. You hardly know you are wearing them for that, very comfortable. I didn't need to push them up my nose very often. They cover what you want to see very well when down on a ball and probably more so on a 7 or 8 ft table. Having no frame at the top of the lens is a good thing if your eyes do need to go up that far for some reason.

The horizontal nose bridge is a bit annoying when you are just standing around. Down on a ball I didn't notice them. The glasses (at least for me) are problematic when chalking if you are looking at what you are doing. Too out of focus that close in. I think that the Curran glasses would be good with some magnification at the bottom like a bifocal for reading score sheets, chalking etc. That would be a worthwhile improvement for me.

I think that these glasses are good for more casual play and not trying to win a big tournament, going for high runs, high stakes gambling etc.

I would guess that the Curran glasses have adjusted for some of the annoyances of these glasses that I found.
 
hurricane145 said:
I would go for the Curran glasses.
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Did not work out for me and I was there for the purchase and adjustment. I was quite a distance and did not like the ride so I simply took a hit and they are in the drawer instead of going back after 2 trips. And it was a $900set. Glad his eyewear worked out for others. I went to a regular optical store and had a playing set made. Did this in Pa and in Florida. If the person working with you understands what you need and will stand behind the work until you are satisfied... That is your shop. Does not have to be a specialty or high end place...just someone interested in listening and making adjustments. Mail order eyewear is risky but I guess it works.
 
The lens should have a curve too it and also should NOT have framework within the 9 o'clock to 3 o'clock visual area.
Also, get a fixed focal point that can be done for no extra charge during a normal eye exam.
Since I'm 6'6'' and prefer nine foot play, when I stand and look over the table, I've chosen an 11' focal point for my frames.
A $500-$600 dollar pair of good glass frames, have equal value and importance as much as the cue in your case.
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
I saw this talked about on another thread a few weeks ago. I made a note to bring this up but I forgot all about it and just ran across the note I made to myself. So here goes.

Do they make glasses designed specially for pool players? Glasses where when you bend over they are in the right place and you dont have to adjust?

r/DCP
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Someone told me a company in Canada makes them and one in the United States. I was told to google "shooting glasses" also.
 
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