Eye protection for tennis?

Powderwombat

Semi-Pro
So I just read a few horror stories on this forum about guys being hit in the eye with tennis balls and getting detached retinas and all that great stuff... so it's got me thinking about eye protection. I mean I'm guessing that sort of accident is kind of freakish, quite rare...it's one of those topics where you see 10 straight responses with people who have been hit in the eye, so it's a skewed sample obviously and looks worse than it really is. Noone really wears eye protection in tennis, outside of sunglasses which are for a different purpose.

Thoughts? Is it a silly idea to think about wearing some squash glasses "just in case"? Just how common is people being hit in the eye with a ball?
 

SystemicAnomaly

Bionic Poster
Not that common but it can happen. Partially detached retinas in both eyes. Freak accidents with tennis ball impacts. Was working with a student in both cases when someone else rips a ball in my direction.

In each case, I did not look directly at the incoming ball but detected it with my peripheral vision. Stuck my racket to deflect the ball away but it hit the frame and ricocheted directly into the eyeball. Freak accidents.
 
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Powderwombat

Semi-Pro
as an obstetrician once told my sister about the chances of a particular birth defect, "as far as I'm concerned the odds are 1 in 2 -- it can happen or not happen"

That makes no sense. I mean it sounds like something a 2nd grader would think, someone who hasn't grasped basic probability. I hope she was joking because that's one of the dumbest things I've read in a while...though I don't know why she would joke around when asked a question about birth defects...maybe she was just incredibly thick.
 

sureshs

Bionic Poster
That makes no sense. I mean it sounds like something a 2nd grader would think, someone who hasn't grasped basic probability. I hope she was joking because that's one of the dumbest things I've read in a while...though I don't know why she would joke around when asked a question about birth defects...maybe she was just incredibly thick.

It means that if it happens, you are the one stuck with it. Unlike the probability of a volcano in Jupiter erupting today, this one is affecting you, and only you (and a few others).
 

Powderwombat

Semi-Pro
It means that if it happens, you are the one stuck with it. Unlike the probability of a volcano in Jupiter erupting today, this one is affecting you, and only you (and a few others).

No it doesn't, she implied that the chance of whatever the birth defect was in question was the same as a coin toss. Moronic, really. She should probably know her facts instead of spewing BS. As I said, it's basic probability. Her answer reeks of ignorance. Definitely not a quote I would repeat...that's one for the trashcan.
 
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MajesticMoose

Hall of Fame
If you get hit in the eye with a tennis ball during a match then your reflexes and dexterity aren't good enough and you need to quit.
 

Powderwombat

Semi-Pro
^Apparently it's more of an issue with beginners who are learning the game, who might not be as skilled as intermediate and advanced players. And looking at some of the statues who play the net in doubles, some dont even look at the opposing net player, it's no wonder some people get hit.
 

MajesticMoose

Hall of Fame
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LGQ7

Hall of Fame
I went to the dentist and the new dentist is a woman. I looked up and guess what I saw. No not that. It was like I was in a Star Trek (TOS & STE): The Mirror Universe. Her visor. The brand. Smith and Wesson. In one universe a man wears a Smith and Wesson glasses, he's firing a gun in range. In another universe, a woman wears it as a medical accessory device. So weird. Truth is stranger than fiction.
 

NE1for10is?

Semi-Pro
I saw an opponent trying to retrieve a deep lob, quickly spin around to hit it, and he managed to whack himself on the bridge of the nose with his own racquet. He bled like a stuck pig. Moral of the story is:

1) you can get hit by a racquet too, not just a ball.

2) If you have to wear glasses, wear shatter proof lenses. He wasn't wearing any glasses at all, but imagine if he had hit himself in regular prescription glasses and the glass shards went into his eye.
 

Powderwombat

Semi-Pro
I think we've established the obstetrician doesn't understand basic probability. No birth defects are as common as 1 in 2. Not even remotely close. Now it's roughly 1 in 2 of a child being born a certain gender, but that's about it when it comes to childbirth. If she said that to me I would've demanded to see someone with a damn brain to answer my question because that really is one of the dumbest things I've read in a long time. It's kind of baffling if she actually believed that, and it's surprising to see someone actually repeat it, as if they were quoting Aristotle or someone. Good for a laugh anyway.

Hey guys the odds of you winning the lottery the next time you buy a ticket are 1 in 2...it can either happen or not happen. Total moron logic lmfao. Young children are more intelligent than that.
 
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Turbo-87

G.O.A.T.
I think we've established the obstetrician doesn't understand basic probability. No birth defects are as common as 1 in 2. Not even remotely close. Now it's roughly 1 in 2 of a child being born a certain gender, but that's about it when it comes to childbirth. If she said that to me I would've demanded to see someone with a damn brain to answer my question because that really is one of the dumbest things I've read in a long time. It's kind of baffling if she actually believed that, and it's surprising to see someone actually repeat it, as if they were quoting Aristotle or someone. Good for a laugh anyway.

Hey guys the odds of you winning the lottery the next time you buy a ticket are 1 in 2...it can either happen or not happen. Total moron logic lmfao. Young children are more intelligent than that.
Fair point. I work in IT and whenever something breaks and we come up with a solution to try, I used to jokingly simplify it by just saying "We know one of two things. It's either going to work or it's not going to work." No sense in trying to figure out the probability. :)
I saw an opponent trying to retrieve a deep lob, quickly spin around to hit it, and he managed to whack himself on the bridge of the nose with his own racquet. He bled like a stuck pig.
Sadly, I have done this same thing. My nose was not happy at all.
 

Crocodile

G.O.A.T.
I think you can minimise these incidents by being careful. As a coach I generally try to avoid the set up where I stand too close to the volleyers. When I'm teaching players to volley I'm even more careful with my feeds, because this is where so many players do damage to themselves. Playing doubles is more risky than singles. Unfortunately some people can be silly on court and not consider the safety of others until someone gets hurt, so being safety conscious is a must.
When coaching beginners and working on volleys I'm prepared to use the softer orange balls as a safety measure.
The problem with detached retina is that you can get them without being hit, some people are genetically more prone to the condition, being hit by a ball is not going to help.
 

MathGeek

Hall of Fame
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We've found that the combination of prescription Wayfarers with polycarbonate lenses and a baseball cap provide pretty good eye protection for a wide variety of sports: tennis, shooting, fishing, ultimate, mountain biking, basketball, etc. - just about anything except sports with high probability of small incoming projectiles like paintball and Airsoft.

Back in the 1990s, I had a pair of prescription basketball goggles (like Kareem). These were likely a bit better against balls and fingers, but not nearly as good against sunlight and UV.

I've found the ball cap to be important for light and stuff coming from the higher angles. It stops stuff like water, shell casings, fishing lures, and light tree branches fairly well. Stuff like tennis balls are slowed significantly from most angles as they hit the brim of the hat and usually knock the hat off taking a lot of momentum out of the tennis ball before it gets to the glasses. The Wayfarer frames are nearly indestructable and transfer the impact mostly to other parts of the face rather than the eye.
 

jaggy

Talk Tennis Guru
I have been playing since the early 80s and had never been hit in the face by a ball despite playing a lot of doubles. I started wearing glasses for distance about 2011 and thought I would see if they helped my tennis. First game I got hit in the face and it knocked them off. They didnt break however. Been off ever since.
 

nvr2old

Hall of Fame
Gonna sub in a dubs match Friday because one of the players got hit in the eye a week ago with a ball and did not get seen and now has lost his vision in that eye due to a detached retina. Very sad. I'd recommend wearing eye protection especially during doubles.
 
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