Tell me about progressive lenses

S

sureshs

Bionic Poster
Finally, I have to submit to age and get progressive lenses (multifocals) for my glasses.

Haven't got them yet, but the optometrist cautioned me that it will take a while to adjust.

She also said I should probably use my existing glasses for tennis otherwise the distant to near ball transitions could cause a problem.

Tell me how long it takes to get used to progressives. Should you drive imediately after you get them or use the old ones for a while? What are the issues? What did you do for tennis?
 
N

North

Professional
Well, I almost fell over getting up from my chair the first time I put the progressive lenses on. Could not have driven with them the first few hours. It took 2-3 days to totally get used to them and I have not had a problem since.

Once you get used to progressive lenses themselves, there is no problem with new prescriptions on the lenses as the years go by. I play tennis with the progressive bifocals also with no problems.
 
S

sureshs

Bionic Poster
Thanks. I was warned that the floor will appear raised.

I will avoid them initially for driving.

I heard stories about 2 to 3 months of adjustment. A few days sounds much better.
 
J

jswinf

Professional
This is an individual thing, like "what's the best tennis racket?"

Some people put on progressives and have no problems at all and wear them for everything they do. Some people can't adapt to them at all and have to use separate glasses for distance and near. Most do fine with them, but may be bothered by "active" stuff.

If you find you can wear them for tennis and do fine, great. One thing's pretty certain, though, progressives won't help you for tennis, you don't need that power change in the bottom of the lenses to see the ball as it gets close. If your existing glasses are good for distance, there's no reason not to continue using them for tennis, and then you won't get your new ones all sweaty.
 
ethebull

ethebull

Rookie
I turned 50 last year and this spring I went to progressive lenses for my corection. I play at three sports regularly. Tennis, golf, and cycling. My standard correction is for myopia - near sightedness. I would never wear progressives or bifocals for sports. In fact I hate them for most everyday wear and will try reading glasses the next time I fill a new prescription.
 
S

sureshs

Bionic Poster
Yeah my father also warned me because many people he knows were sold the progressives (nice money to be made there) and they had trouble adjusting. Wondering if plain old bifocals or separate reading glasses would have been better for me.

Need to wait and see.
 
S

sureshs

Bionic Poster
ethebull said:
I turned 50 last year and this spring I went to progressive lenses for my corection. I play at three sports regularly. Tennis, golf, and cycling. My standard correction is for myopia - near sightedness. I would never wear progressives or bifocals for sports. In fact I hate them for most everyday wear and will try reading glasses the next time I fill a new prescription.
Click to expand...

The optometrist was saying I might have to use my current glasses for tennis.
 
N

North

Professional
I guess I had a better experience than many people have. The first 2-3 days I had a mild nagging headache and had trouble the first few times I played tennis, getting used to switching my eyes for near/far. But, really, it was not much of an adjustment after the first few days.
 
jmjmkim

jmjmkim

Semi-Pro
I got my first progressive glasses about 8 mos ago. It took a few days to adjust, but the process happens naturally. You don't really intentionally try to look through the center of the lens, etc. The trick is to move the whole head and not just the eye balls. If you scan with the eyes and you track through the different parts of the lens, then you get dizzy.

If you read a lot, (like novels and Bible etc) then it might be worthwhile to get a dedicated reading lens. It you do a lot of stop and go, or just want the convenience of having one glasses, then progressive is pretty good. The lens cost a lot more though.

For playing tennis, it would not be a good idea to play in progressive lens. It is worth it to have a dedicated glasses just for your sports activities.
 
jmjmkim

jmjmkim

Semi-Pro
For some reason though, my eyes felt better and I have not worn my glasses for the last 4 months or so.

Also, when I play tennis, I don't wear glasses. The ball looks a little fuzzy but that's the trade-off. I feel uncomfortable with glasses on.
 
K

Ken Honecker

Rookie
I use them for everything and needed no break in for softball, tennis, etc. For the first few days going down stairs seems pretty odd as the steps are out of focus but after a week or so you hardly notice. I have a buddy that uses regular bifocals for softball and has used them as an excuse for years as to why he misses grounders. I have a much better excuse, I'm simply not a good infielder I belong in the tall grass rather than the dirt.
 
ethebull

ethebull

Rookie
BTW, you don't have to pay a gazzillion dollars for eyewear. If you have your scrip - Zenni optical will save you bigtime.
 
S

sureshs

Bionic Poster
Ken Honecker said:
I use them for everything and needed no break in for softball, tennis, etc. For the first few days going down stairs seems pretty odd as the steps are out of focus but after a week or so you hardly notice. I have a buddy that uses regular bifocals for softball and has used them as an excuse for years as to why he misses grounders. I have a much better excuse, I'm simply not a good infielder I belong in the tall grass rather than the dirt.
Click to expand...

I will adapt his excuse to tennis. From what I am hearing, I can easily go the next couple of years playing crappy tennis and using the progressives as an excuse.
 
N

North

Professional
sureshs said:
I will adapt his excuse to tennis. From what I am hearing, I can easily go the next couple of years playing crappy tennis and using the progressives as an excuse.
Click to expand...

Good for you - lol! The excuse will work the rest of your life. Whenever I shank an easy ball I just shake my head and mutter something about my glasses and "overdue for a new prescription" ;D
 
J

jswinf

Professional
^^^Be careful with this, you might find out you're playing with an optometrist who'll say "How about next Tuesday?" And your line calls might be scrutinized more closely...:razz:
 
N

North

Professional
jswinf said:
^^^Be careful with this, you might find out you're playing with an optometrist who'll say "How about next Tuesday?" And your line calls might be scrutinized more closely...:razz:
Click to expand...

Good points. I actually do play my ophtholmologist once in a while, so I guess I better be careful. I call lines so liberally, the only questions I've ever had about my line calls is that I am probably calling out balls as good - lol.
 
S

sureshs

Bionic Poster
North said:
Good points. I actually do play my ophtholmologist once in a while, so I guess I better be careful. I call lines so liberally, the only questions I've ever had about my line calls is that I am probably calling out balls as good - lol.
Click to expand...

It is tough for him. If he questions your calls, it reflects badly on his skill!
 
G

Geezer Guy

Hall of Fame
sureshs said:
Finally, I have to submit to age and get progressive lenses (multifocals) for my glasses.

Haven't got them yet, but the optometrist cautioned me that it will take a while to adjust.

She also said I should probably use my existing glasses for tennis otherwise the distant to near ball transitions could cause a problem.

Tell me how long it takes to get used to progressives. Should you drive imediately after you get them or use the old ones for a while? What are the issues? What did you do for tennis?
Click to expand...

I started wearing progressive lenses several years ago. It DOES take a little while to adjust, but not too long. For me it was just a couple of days.

However, when I went to play tennis with them I had a lot of problems. The lenses seem to distort where the ball appears to be from where it actually is. It was so bad that I couldn't even get through the warm-up phase. I took my glasses off and played fine, so that's what I've been doing ever since. I wear my glasses from the time I wake up to the time I go to bed - EXCEPT when I'm playing tennis or some other sport. Anything hand-eye related I play without glasses.
 
J

jswinf

Professional
^^^^That's a fine way to do it IF your basic need for distance correction isn't that much. Lots of glasses wearers would be swinging at shadows of birds and smacking drink cups off of benches without their glasses.
 
Tina

Tina

Banned
jswinf said:
^^^^That's a fine way to do it IF your basic need for distance correction isn't that much. Lots of glasses wearers would be swinging at shadows of birds and smacking drink cups off of benches without their glasses.
Click to expand...

Agreed! :)
 
G

Geezer Guy

Hall of Fame
Yeah. My distance vision is fine. I just need help with the "up close" work. Occasionally I'll forget to put my glasses back on after a match and not even notice until I get home and try to enter the scores online - and wonder why the screen is so fuzzy.
 
S

slewisoh

Semi-Pro
I am a Progressive Lens Hater! Purchased a pair last year because I do a lot of accounting work where I need to look down at pages in front of me and then look up at a computer screen that is a few feet away. I end up with massive headaches.

Certainly can't use them for tennis or driving - constantly trying to find the correct area of lens to peer through. I've taken to keeping a pair of distance glasses in my tennis bag, and in the car, and leaving my Progressive Lenses sitting in the case.
 
S

slewisoh

Semi-Pro
I'm going back to my old method of perching my distance glasses on my nose in such a way so as to see the game on TV across the room while simultaneously "looking under" the glasses to see the crossword puzzle in front of me.

Very attractive, I'm sure! :shock:
 
S

sureshs

Bionic Poster
3 weeks on progressives now. Used a vacation to get used to it. Played tennis with them and everything is fine. Have started driving again recently. No problems.

Took me about 3 days to adjust.

Only thing still bothering me is occasional blurred view which requires a very small time to adjust and go away.
 
N

North

Professional
There, you see (no pun intended) - the progressive lenses really aren't a problem. Sounds like your experience was similar to mine.

Glad you are doing well with them. You may notice in a couple of years when you need a new prescription - I find the progressive lenses have made me very attuned to when it is time to get new glasses.
 
S

sureshs

Bionic Poster
North said:
There, you see (no pun intended) - the progressive lenses really aren't a problem. Sounds like your experience was similar to mine.

Glad you are doing well with them. You may notice in a couple of years when you need a new prescription - I find the progressive lenses have made me very attuned to when it is time to get new glasses.
Click to expand...

I notice that, in general, everything is blurred ever so slightly and for an ever-so-small adjustment time. I am still waiting for my brain to compensate, but I think the slight blurriness is an inevitable result of the constantly changing focal length of the lens across its extent. Without the optimal head and eye angle, nothing can be viewed optimally with this system, or so it seems to me.
 
Tina

Tina

Banned
sureshs said:
I notice that, in general, everything is blurred ever so slightly and for an ever-so-small adjustment time. I am still waiting for my brain to compensate, but I think the slight blurriness is an inevitable result of the constantly changing focal length of the lens across its extent. Without the optimal head and eye angle, nothing can be viewed optimally with this system, or so it seems to me.
Click to expand...

Welcome back, Hero Sureshs. I haven't seen you for a while at TTW. How are you doing? -Tina
 
N

North

Professional
sureshs said:
I notice that, in general, everything is blurred ever so slightly and for an ever-so-small adjustment time. I am still waiting for my brain to compensate, but I think the slight blurriness is an inevitable result of the constantly changing focal length of the lens across its extent. Without the optimal head and eye angle, nothing can be viewed optimally with this system, or so it seems to me.
Click to expand...

That's interesting. I never noticed that, though it may simply have been that I ignored it. Don't know how old you are but I do know it takes the brain longer to make neural connectons as we get older (like if you are in your 40s or more). You may adjust, though.
 
Cindysphinx

Cindysphinx

G.O.A.T.
I'm glad you found a solution. Me, I'm not doing well.

I have worn contact lenses since I was 16. I don't wear glasses often, and never for sports. I now use soft Touric contacts (for astigmatism).

Now that I need reading glasses, I seem to spend all of my time thinking about reading glasses. Where are they? Which strength should I use for what task? I have five pairs -- one pair on each level of the house, one pair in the car and one pair in my purse. I feel like I'm constantly searching for the things.

Simple things -- shopping for groceries -- are a massive pain in the butt because I can't read any packaging labels and prices. So I walk around with a pair of reading glasses perched up on my head -- when they aren't falling off and skittering halfway down the aisle.

Then when I don't have my contacts in (say, reading a book in bed at night), reading glasses don't work. I guess I need different readers for that. :sigh:

I could get a pair of progressives or bifocals, but I fear that introducing yet another variable will make life even more difficult. I can imagine forgetting to bring contacts to a match and having to retire because I would never be able to play in bifocals.

Has anyone tried bifocal contacts?
 
S

sureshs

Bionic Poster
There are even progressive (multifocal) contacts available.

Heck, they even have progressive lenses for cataract surgeries where they replace your natural lens with the artificial one.
 
Remguy

Remguy

New User
I have resumed playing tennis after a long illness (10yrs) which ended up putting me in a wheelchair. As far as my age is concerned, IT'S NON well if 50 it The New Thirty, then I am The New Thirty. I now wear progressive eyeglasses. I am having a TERRIBLE time finding the ball out there. If Jerry Lee Lewis were to watch me play, he'd say, "There's a whole lotta SHANKIN' goin' on!" On the tennis court I consider myself an artist - I frame everything. (Ba dum dum!)

OK OK, I'll stop now, but you get my idea. I'm having a REAL PROBLEM gauging/tracking the ball and making clean contact. Even on self-feeds! Do any of you think it could be the lenses? The transition to the sitting game has been BRUTAL. In this version of the tennis, movement is key, and one that doesn't seem to be on my keychain. I'm thinking I may do what someone here suggested, get glasses/lenses purely for sports. Anybody tried those yellow tinted ones? You're supposed to see the ball better, but I'm worried it'll give me this sick feeling. You know, like when I look at the scoreboard.

Butt seriously, I'm almost three years into it and still FLOUNDERING. There are kids who pick up a racket for the first time and three years later they're in the Olympics (Paralympics)! Not my objective, but MAN! I just want to play like I know I can. FROSTY AND FRUSTRATED in Montreal, (Quebec) Canada
 
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