New Technology Making Sports Vision Training The Norm

PRLog (Press Release) - Aug 04, 2010 -
Tulsa, Okla. –  NCAA athletic programs and performance institutions across the country are adding sports vision training equipment to their workout regimens to improve athletes’ reaction time, peripheral acuity and hand-eye coordination in a measurable and interactive way.

“Vision training has been around for years,” David Da Silva, head vision trainer at IMG Performance Institute said. “But what started as rudimentary exercises are now becoming more technological and specific to the sport.”

IMG’s vision program began in August 2009, and according to Da Silva, they are in the process of upgrading their training by adding a unit called the Dynavision D2.

“The D2 is definitely a step forward,” Da Silva said. “There is so much more you can do with it. We had to be more creative with our old equipment to make it challenging for the athletes. The D2 forces you to be precise – it’s all about accuracy – and it will be interesting to see how our athletes improve after using all the features and competitive-aspects of the unit.”

The Tulsa-manufactured D2 is a four-by-four stand alone variable height system, equipped with fast-moving lights that track reaction time, and a sphere of 64 buttons that test peripheral vision and hand-eye coordination.

“We are in the age of measurement,” Phil Jones, creator of the D2 said. “We’ve known for years how important vision training is, but athletes need to know their baseline stats and be able to track their improvement as they interact with the equipment.”

The D2 was released this spring by Dynavision, a company that got its start 20 years ago selling a similar vision training unit to rehabilitation facilities around the world.

“I wanted to take the original unit, which was perfect for recovering patients working to improve their motor and cognitive skills, and make it more durable for athletes who would inevitably give it a beating while training,” Jones said. “We’ve put a lot of time and money into the redevelopment and the D2 is now strong enough to withstand even the most powerful players’ hits.”

After IMG started using the D2, Baylor University purchased two units. Dynavision featured the D2 and I-SPAN, another vision training device that adds agility development into the mix, at this summer’s NATA and NSCA conferences. Jones explains that the interest-level he received indicates a great future for sports vision training in the nation’s top sports programs.

“I played in the Canadian Football League for seven years, so I consider myself an athlete as much as an entrepreneur,” Jones said. “I feel very satisfied knowing our technology is finally in the industry where it belongs.”

For more information, visit www.dynavisiond2.com, or contact Lauren Novo at (850) 412-0300 or Lauren@team180.com.