Hand-Eye Exercises

While a majority of pro athletes spend many hours training their muscles to deal with the rigors of their chosen sport, a great deal of training also goes into hand-eye coordination. Efficient hand-eye ability is a must for any athlete who wants to improve their game, especially those who play fast-paced sports like tennis, baseball, hockey, golf, or lacrosse. Even non-sport participants such as surgeons or those who work with their hands can benefit from hand-eye coordination exercises.

  1. A Basic Drill

    • Several drills exist that can help boost hand-eye coordination. These drills can used interchangeably, meaning the skills aren't sport- specific. One basic exercise is to take a few lightly colored balls, such as tennis or lacrosse balls, and draw a different number or letter on each ball. A partner then predetermines the order in which to throw the balls, and the recipient has to correctly identify which ball is being thrown at them. If no partner is available, the player can bounce the balls randomly off of a wall.

    More Simple Drills

    • Physical therapists recommend using a drill that utilizes balls of very size, as the act of both throwing and catching balls of various size requires quick adjustments. A way to employ this method is to have a player stand facing a wall about six feet out. A partner throws one of the balls over the player's shoulders, forcing the player to make quick decisions to catch the ball as it bounces off the wall. The difficulty can be varied in this drill by putting the player closer to the wall.

    Other Suggestions

    • Players can play with any ball, since the mechanics of catching any ball require the use of hand-eye coordination, but other methods can be used. Some athletes, such as former NFL linebacker Chris Spielman, play videogames as a way of improving coordination. According to National Geographic, a university-led study concluded that videogames do indeed improve hand-eye skills.

      The age-old skill of juggling, or learning to juggle, is also said to boost hand-eye coordination and improve brain function, a trick employed by many former NHL goalies.