Vision issues tracking tennis ball..normal?

[mike84]

I had 10 month pause on tennis due to shoulder issue.

Started playing again and started noticing that if I track the tennis ball I am getting blurriness/tunnel vision.....

basically turning my head toward the ball so I can track to contact point everything around ball is very blurry.

Which is causing me to do shanks and more mishits.

Had eye exam and doctor said vision is very good, slight farsightedness (Hyperopia) said normal for my age (late 20's) and doesn't require glasses/contacts.
When I explained to him how I have tunnel vision tracking objects he just shrugged it off seemed confused.


Could this be balance issue? due to ears?

Anyone else have anything like this?

Or am I going crazy....

 

[S&V-not_dead_yet]

When I explained to him how I have tunnel vision tracking objects he just shrugged it off seemed confused.

That's unacceptable. Find someone who can at least address the issue.

Central vision blurriness could be a sign of macular degeneration although I think very uncommon in one so young. There could be other issues having to do with impingement of the optic nerve.

I don't want to be an alarmist but if it were me, I'd investigate; my vision is precious to me.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Was this doc a GP? You might require a more comprehensive battery of visual tests by a behavioral optometrist or an ophthalmologist. Sounds like your doc might have only performed static acuity testing (for your foveal/central vision).

Do you know if convergence insufficiency (CI) has been ruled out? You might need to have some eye teaming and visual tracking testing done. Also, should have some testing of your peripheral vision.

 

[mike84]

Thanks for replies.

I talked to me family doctor.

Gonna seek another opinion with different doctor.

I forgot to mention this..

year ago I had Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV ), it was pretty severe.

I had no ability to walk for 2 weeks. Zero balance.

Than they had me visit after physios and I did bunch of exercises to regain my balance.

At that time I wasn't playing tennis due to shoulder problems.

Kinda makes me wonder if this is having effect on tennis year after?


...........

I played tennis again yesterday.....

Feels weird it seems my eyes can focus / see the ball is when my head is not moving at all (if that makes any sense).

If I am playing off muscle memory and just starting at opponent instead of trying to track ball going to strings it okay.

But my habit is to follow the ball to strings on every shot.

And when I do that everything around the ball is blurry and disorienting.

This is causing sensation that by balance is off.

At the net its almost impossible to play.

With ball moving fast turning head toward volley, its like blur.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

http://www.drgallaway.com/vision-and-learning/eye-teaming-focusing-and-tracking/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_movement#Vestibulo-ocular_system

You might want to see a behavioral optometrist who specializes in sports vision training.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Feels weird it seems my eyes can focus / see the ball is when my head is not moving at all (if that makes any sense).

But my habit is to follow the ball to strings on every shot.

With ball moving fast turning head toward volley, its like blur.

The ball will be a blur for everyone when the ball is close to us on volleys & grounstrokes. It doesn't really make sense to follow the ball all the way into the strings since we will almost never see the ball on the stringbed. Our visual tracking system is incapable of seeing a moving ball on our strings 99.99% of the time. In fact, our smooth pursuit system can no longer see/track the ball as it gets close to us -- perhaps 0.5 meters or more (2-4 feet or more).

On fast incoming volleys, the ball may become "invisible" at 5-7 feet (2 meters). Using a jump-ahead saccade (saccadic tracking), we might perceive a momentary yellow blur 1-3 feet from the contact point -- but not on the strings.

Federer does not actually follow the ball all the way into his strings. Close inspection of high-speed film of Roger reveals that his eyes actually get to his expected contact point before the ball does. So his head is not actually moving as the ball comes into his strings and for a while afterward.

However, Federer's gaze technique does require a lot of head movement just prior to contact. You might be better off with Andre Agassi's gaze technique. He fixes his gaze somewhat in front of his expected contact point. This requires less head movement. Andre says that the ball appears larger than normal using this technique. (He may also be catching a bit of a blur that I spoke of earlier).

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Notice Andre's gaze is forward of his contact point.

Roger appears to be looking at the ball. But he is actually fixated on his contact point -- Not the ball. Even though the high-speed camera captures the ball on his strings, Federer himself cannot see the ball at this point.

Andre and Roger are both keeping their heads still during the contact phase -- and for a while afterwards. They are both fixated a point in space (but not on the same point). Andre's fixation requires a less head movement than Roger's.

 

[dgold44]

I had 10 month pause on tennis due to shoulder issue.

Started playing again and started noticing that if I track the tennis ball I am getting blurriness/tunnel vision.....

basically turning my head toward the ball so I can track to contact point everything around ball is very blurry.

Which is causing me to do shanks and more mishits.

Had eye exam and doctor said vision is very good, slight farsightedness (Hyperopia) said normal for my age (late 20's) and doesn't require glasses/contacts.
When I explained to him how I have tunnel vision tracking objects he just shrugged it off seemed confused.


Could this be balance issue? due to ears?

Anyone else have anything like this?

Or am I going crazy....

Could be mental ???

 

[mike84]

The ball will be a blur for everyone when the ball is close to us on volleys & grounstrokes. It doesn't really make sense to follow the ball all the way into the strings since we will almost never see the ball on the stringbed. Our visual tracking system is incapable of seeing a moving ball on our strings 99.99% of the time. In fact, our smooth pursuit system can no longer see/track the ball as it gets close to us -- perhaps 0.5 meters or more (2-4 feet or more).

On fast incoming volleys, the ball may become "invisible" at 5-7 feet (2 meters). Using a jump-ahead saccade (saccadic tracking), we might perceive a momentary yellow blur 1-3 feet from the contact point -- but not on the strings.

Federer does not actually follow the ball all the way into his strings. Close inspection of high-speed film of Roger reveals that his eyes actually get to his expected contact point before the ball does. So his head is not actually moving as the ball comes into his strings and for a while afterward.

However, Federer's gaze technique does require a lot of head movement just prior to contact. You might be better off with Andre Agassi's gaze technique. He fixes his gaze somewhat in front of his expected contact point. This requires less head movement. Andre says that the ball appears larger than normal using this technique. (He may also be catching a bit of a blur that I spoke of earlier).

Yes, for sure its impossible to track the ball at speed for anyone.

I should have edited my post above. To say that, sorry.

The thing is like I say above though that I am

getting sensation I am about to fall down when I try and follow the ball with eyes, never hard that feeling ever before playing tennis or any sport.

At moment I can play if I just stare across net long distance and just play off muscle memory.


Will see what other doctor says, maybe as poster below says its mental.

Lol maybe this is why my first eye visit doctor just shrugged and probably thought this guy is talking bs.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

https://vestibular.org/understanding-vestibular-disorder/symptoms

In addition to the eye specialists I suggested you should also see someone who specializes in vestibular disorders. See link above & the 2nd link in post #5

 

[tennytive]

The vertigo aspect may be more serious than you think. I had this a few years ago and it was very annoying until I was able to research and perform the eply maneuver which cured me in 2 days. Talking to one of my hitting partners I came to find out he had to have surgery to correct his vertigo because it was the most serious version that affected his balance. It's located in your inner ear, so an eye doctor may not be the only one you need to see. Ear nose and throat specialist might also be worth a visit to rule out the vertigo.

 

[mcs1970]

Go to a specialist for any vision issues, be it related to vertigo or something with the eye. I developed myopic diplopia in early 40s. Have to wear prism lenses now. Had to go to a high end specialist to get properly diagnosed...and more importantly to run the gamut of tests to rule out every other possiblity.

 

[mike84]

I got appointment with Otolaryngology doctor next week.

Will go to eye doctor at later time.

After reading responses here and just googling around. This could be inner ear issue.

Its making sense why I am getting sensation of falling over / balance loss /blurry vision after quick direction changes.

I am thinking my vertigo was never fully fixed even with physio visits last year.

The vertigo aspect may be more serious than you think. I had this a few years ago and it was very annoying until I was able to research and perform the eply maneuver which cured me in 2 days. Talking to one of my hitting partners I came to find out he had to have surgery to correct his vertigo because it was the most serious version that affected his balance. It's located in your inner ear, so an eye doctor may not be the only one you need to see. Ear nose and throat specialist might also be worth a visit to rule out the vertigo.

When I had vertigo.

They never did the epley maneuver technique. I don't know why they didn't do it and for whatever reason I never asked them.

Instead after week half of home rest.
They had me visit physio (8 sessions of exercises)
Standing on one foot.
Turning head while following object etc.
Following pen around.
Lying down on one side.

After that they told me to keep doing those exercises until balance/vision was regained.

Never occured to me that in fast moving actions it could cause issues.

 

[sureshs]

I had 10 month pause on tennis due to shoulder issue.

Started playing again and started noticing that if I track the tennis ball I am getting blurriness/tunnel vision.....

basically turning my head toward the ball so I can track to contact point everything around ball is very blurry.

Which is causing me to do shanks and more mishits.

Had eye exam and doctor said vision is very good, slight farsightedness (Hyperopia) said normal for my age (late 20's) and doesn't require glasses/contacts.
When I explained to him how I have tunnel vision tracking objects he just shrugged it off seemed confused.


Could this be balance issue? due to ears?

Anyone else have anything like this?

Or am I going crazy....

If your optometrist has done the FOV test, you should know.

 

[mike84]

Just want to update in case someone else has issue like this.

After another doctor visit, they told me that this is inner ear issue causing my balance loss and blurriness when head is not still.

I am going to physio 2 times a week and doing at home exercises.

In months time they told me to try and play tennis again.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Seems to be a vestibular disorder after all. That was my alternate guess. Interested in hearing how physio exercises correct the problem.