will glasses help at ALL

tikkler

tikkler

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Over the last 10 years or so my eyesight has been getting worse. I use glasses for reading, and without them I am useless. I have driving glasses that I never wear, and have no problem with seeing anything long distance.

I hear that there are glasses for 2 to 10 feet distances. Has anyone tried these for playing pool, and if so how did they work out. It is getting really tiring of not being able to focus in on a shot especially if its more than 2 feet away.
 
tikkler said:
Over the last 10 years or so my eyesight has been getting worse. I use glasses for reading, and without them I am useless. I have driving glasses that I never wear, and have no problem with seeing anything long distance.

I hear that there are glasses for 2 to 10 feet distances. Has anyone tried these for playing pool, and if so how did they work out. It is getting really tiring of not being able to focus in on a shot especially if its more than 2 feet away.
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Steve...not sure if this will help or not....

I have always had to wear corrective lenses. :frown: About 1.5 years ago, I became aware that it was time for the dreaded bi-focals. :shocked2:

I got incredibly lucky in that when I talked to my eye doc, he asked what was the most important thing to me to see crispy clearly. I told him I played pool....turns out, he has a bit of the love for the game, and set my glasses up to increase my midrange clarity...I still see well enough for driving and reading...but the crispest part of my focal range is that which encompasses the diameters of a pool table. So, I guess, he set me with more of a tri-focal. BTW, mine are 'no-line'...so no one is the wiser, you're just wearing glasses.

My first night playing after I got the new glasses, I shot like I had not shot in a long time...it was great! I actually believe my level of play has increased as a result of the newer script and lense set-up.

Lisa
 
I wear glasses and contacts. Contacts always gave me issues while playing pool because my eyes would dry out on me from not blinking when I was trying to focus on a shot. My glasses will, at times, glare a bit from the lighting in the room, the table lights, and catch glare off the balls.

Unfortunately for me, I'm blind without them.

My best advice to you is:

Go get a thorough eye exam and get a pair of glasses that you would feel comfy playing pool in. Make sure the frames are subtle and don't obstruct your peripheral vision. Make sure the lenses are large enough that you can tilt your head, look up and down, and maintain good vision...move your head and eyes + stand as if you were leaning over the table when trying frames on.

Get a pair of glasses and try shooting with them and see if it improves your overall view of the balls. If it does, you need em :)

It can't hurt to try it and if you don't like it, don't wear them.

If your vision is getting worse, then I would say it probably DOES affect your game.
 
I wear glasses now and have for many years. I look right over the top of them. It makes it really hard to play. I would suggest getting glasses big enough to be able to bend down, look up, and still be able to see through the them.

Joliet Mike. Where do you play outta? I played in Joliet for years.
 
The Decot Hy-Wyd frames combined with a very low magnification would probably work decently for most suffering the far-sight problems of aging.

My correction is +2.25 in both eyes for reading so I foolishly thought 1.75 lenses would work well for pool. I came to that conclusion based upon viewing the table through a pair of cheap reading glasses supposedly of that correction. WRONG. I now have a set of lenses that are only +.75 for both eyes and am finding even they are a little too strong.

Some optometrists have zero idea about what might work well for pool so I was sort of left on my own in finding the right magnification and haven't really found it yet. But the frames are great although they make me look even goofier. You really can't look over them due to their design.

RandyG helped as much as he could with getting mine but I don't see info on his website now about the glasses. I believe if you have a good prescription, you can order them directly from Decot at sportglasses.com . Find an optometrist that understands what you are after and can provide the right correction values.
 
When I had to get glasses about 10 years ago I had a hard time adjusting because I shoot fairly low with my chin nearly touching the shaft, so I would naturally see right over the top of my glasses which made it useless. That, or I would see double, both through and above the glasses. It took me a while to adjust my approach to where I shot a little more upright where my eyes would look through the glasses. After that I was fine and being able to actually see vs looking at fuzzy balls helped my game.

Then I went to contacts and it was even better. I was able to return back to my natural low approach which felt more natural too me. Took me a few weeks to get used to it but I much rather use contacts vs glasses.
 
In England "Snooker glasses" are very common, they are specially designed for billiard players so you can put the chin on the cue and still see the shot.
It's not the best looking thing but it get's the job done....


wtc-best_009.jpg




Just google "snooker glasses".

I myself wear glasses and lately decided to get a pair especially for the game, I got one of these big sun-glasses that covers well over the eyebrows and replaced the lens. they should be ready early next week...
 
you can get them made for a midrange easily and just use that pair for pool and cards.
if you are getting old than maybe you have cataracts and should have been checked for that as you will need them fixed. my turn soon for that.
if you just have prebyopia which is bad short range sight from getting older around 40 it starts you can get by with close range glasses for reading and a midrange for pool with a bifocal.
 
Yes,yes,yes

Steve, it must be the best kept secret in the whole world! Forget prescription glasses. Go to a store that sells cheap readers and sample those with a diopter of 1.50 or less. You will find that these focus from about 1-2 ft. to infinity. Get some with big lenses. Use them for
two weeks to get used to them. Don't give up on them . They work. The balls will seem very sharp and things may seem screwed up at first but stick with them and it's worth possibly a whole ball.
 
I don't know how advanced your presbyopia is (if indeed this is what you're talking about), so my advice may or may not help. As your optometrist probably told you, bi-focals or progressives effectively "kill" whatever remaining focusing ability you have.

I play with "regular" progressives that I raised up:

pool_glasses1.jpg


pool_glasses2.jpg


When I'm down very low on a shot, I still have enough movement range in my neck to adjust the focus. But usually I play very high, which allows me to see the entire shot with a lot less depth of field: if my shin is on the shaft, I have to focus from the tip (say, 2 ft away) to the far pocket (say, 9 ft away) back and forth, which is tiring. When I'm higher, I only have to focus from 3/4 ft to 9 ft away, with my neck in a better position to adjust focus.

So my advice to you is:

- If your optometrist reckons you're "ripe" for them, get yourself a pair of progressives, get used to using them for a few weeks/months, then either mod your pair and get another, or get a dedicated raised pair of progressives. The advantage of DIY raised progressives is that you can adjust the height you like yourself without paying through the nose.

- Get used to play higher. On many shots, you can play with your body almost vertically. It's just a matter of getting used to it. As an added bonus, your shooting arm is in a more natural position - at least mine is - and your back will thank you during long playing sessions.
 
neat glasses

Your a craftsman, Fastolfe. But what's eyesight have to do with being a presbytarian ?
I think you mean chin here. (if my shin is on the shaft) I know you say you play high
but you must be awful tall to keep your shin on your stick.:lmao:
 
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12310bch said:
Your a craftsman, Fastolfe. But what's eyesight have to do with being a presbytarian ?
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Simple: when you aim REAL good, your opponent doesn't have a prayer :)

12310bch said:
I think you mean chin here. (if my shin is on the shaft) I know you say you play high but you must be awful tall to keep your shin on your stick.:lmao:
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Well, that's what happens when you post from a cafe slightly drunk, with a dude next to you who just can't stop chattering...
 
I've worn them for years. The way I get down on the shot, I never see the glasses.

I get down real low and look out at the shot not down at the shot. Pretend someone is sticking their thump up under your chin so you look out at the shot.

Your neck muscles will hurt in the beginning, if your doing it right.
 
The, different word, stiffness, doesn't last forever. It's like lifting weights or exercising after a long lay-off. You'll be sore for a little while.
 
i played with Glasses with a single perscription for pool for about 5 years. I got tired of not being able to get my eyes lined up with the perfect focal point and had Presby Lasik last year and I love it. I have 20/20 again.
 
I went my local Wal-Mart, this past Monday, and got a prescription for eyeglasses. I told the optomitrist that I was a pool player and that I would like to get a pair of glasses for pool playing only. Ones that would clear up the edges of the balls in the 2 to 9 foot range. He said that it wasn't possible to do this because of the effect it would have on other distances; across the room for example.
Long story short, he set up his lab glasses to my eye test numbers and held a ball size object up at about nine feet distance. I saw a noticable difference and there were no ill effects at the other distances. He wrote me a prescription for bi-focals (no-line) and I was on my way. Before long I will send the prescription off for some of those snooker glasses. Now, if only knew how to shoot pool. :smile:
 
dr9ball said:
i played with Glasses with a single perscription for pool for about 5 years. I got tired of not being able to get my eyes lined up with the perfect focal point and had Presby Lasik last year and I love it. I have 20/20 again.
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Doc, if you don't mind my asking, what's the going rate for Lasik surgery these days?
 
Yes BuT..

Tramp Steamer said:
I went my local Wal-Mart, this past Monday, and got a prescription for eyeglasses. I told the optomitrist that I was a pool player and that I would like to get a pair of glasses for pool playing only. Ones that would clear up the edges of the balls in the 2 to 9 foot range. He said that it wasn't possible to do this because of the effect it would have on other distances; across the room for example.
Long story short, he set up his lab glasses to my eye test numbers and held a ball size object up at about nine feet distance. I saw a noticable difference and there were no ill effects at the other distances. He wrote me a prescription for bi-focals (no-line) and I was on my way. Before long I will send the prescription off for some of those snooker glasses. Now, if only knew how to shoot pool. :smile:
Click to expand...

Yes BUT you will be able to see your misses much more clearly!! Think of it positvely, you learn more from missing than you do from making shots!! When you miss and can see why it gives you a better idea what the hell went wrong!!! I have had to play with glasses for the last 6 years and reccomend DeCot! www.sportglasses.com
Enjoy!!!
Dan
 
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