Wearing glasses- varifocals or single vision?

Silver smasher · Feb 20, 2018

I wear glasses all the time because of astigmatism. When I became older I found I needed glasses for distance and a different pair for close up work. I found varifocals to be ideal enabling me to read a book and look up at the tv and back without effort. In normal life the brain is brilliant at moving the angle of your head so that you are looking through the right part of the graduated lens when looking at near, mid distance or far away objects.

When I started playing table tennis 2 years ago these glasses were fine but as I improved and started moving fast to loop or block I felt that some of time I was looking through the wrong part of the lens. I asked the optician for single vision glasses just for playing and they suggested the distant vision lens. They thought that looking at the opposition player was distance vision. This seems to be working ok but I cannot focus exactly on the ball when serving but is that important?

Do you wear varifocals when playing or change to special glasses? Any suggestions or tips would be appreciated.

zeio · Feb 20, 2018

Researchers from Japan ran an experiment and they found that beginner, intermediate and advanced players track the ball in different manners. Beginner players track the ball up till the impact, intermediate players track the ball some more after the bounce, and advanced players stop right after the bounce and from there they interpolate the trajectory.

Go with the single vision and see if you could get used to it.

Brs · Feb 20, 2018

Sorry for the off-topic, but what do the advanced players look at after the bounce, their opponent? And when do they pick up the ball again?

sderyke2002 · Feb 20, 2018

I have bifocals and could in no way play with them as the ball gets to a certain spot and then jumps. I can play better with no glasses at all as compared to bifocals.

I went to my eye doctor (America's Best - two pair for $69 with free eye exam - LOL) and asked for one pair to be straight long distance and one pair to be long distance with a little magnification (like +.25) I did this so I could have my clearest vision at around 15 feet. I have not played with them for very long but I think the little bit extra does make a difference. I especially think this is important trying to catch which direction the spin on a serve will be.

brokenball · Feb 20, 2018

For TT use wire rim 20-20 glasses. The only problem I have is when the ball bounces up into my face and I lose focus.
I have a pair of progressive that I have used when I didn't have my 20-20 glasses but I prefer my 20-20 glasses. I like wire-rim because they don't fog up.

I am always looking at the opponent from the corner of my eye. I like to make 'behind the momentum' shots. I watch the opponent move and hit the ball so he much change direction.

allencorn · Feb 21, 2018

I have single vision glasses idealized for for focus at about 12-15 feet. Seems to help, except when I need to fill out a score sheet, as everything close is blurry. The problem with my progressive lenses is the optimal focus spot is so small, the ball was always out of focus. With single vision, most of the lens works the same way, so that seems to help.

Good luck. You will adapt.

zeio · Feb 21, 2018

Brs said:
Sorry for the off-topic, but what do the advanced players look at after the bounce, their opponent? And when do they pick up the ball again?

They look at the opponent's court. They also rely on peripheral vision to track the opponent's location.

pgpg · Feb 21, 2018

zeio said:
Researchers from Japan ran an experiment and they found that beginner, intermediate and advanced players track the ball in different manners. Beginner players track the ball up till the impact, intermediate players track the ball some more after the bounce, and advanced players stop right after the bounce and from there they interpolate the trajectory.

Go with the single vision and see if you could get used to it.

I guess this puts me into 'advanced' category, but I'm not sure I benefit from this

. I think when I am tracking the ball closer to the impact my consistency goes up, unfortunately it's really hard to do it all the time - ingrained habits and all.

yoass · Feb 21, 2018

Eyesight changing, I'm seeing a specialist after getting very strange results when trying multifocals (read: instant projectile vomiting). Seems something's wrong with left/right eye coördination/vision integration and for some or other reason vision when measured using a refraction device is very different from measurements using vision tests with different optics.

So anyway, doctor's orders now are not to wear any glasses pending additional research. Which means that I more or less have to determine how the oppo hit the ball audibly, but that I do get some visual info upclose (where I previously got worse and worse sight, due to regular age-related movement towards myopia).

No glasses then, and I think after a few weeks of that it doesn't matter much all that much anymore. I actually think I have fewer mishits when opening up on fast sidespin serves.

KM1976 · Feb 21, 2018

I use Crizal transition lenses. I cannot wear contact lens as I have dry eye syndrome. I haven't faced any issues so far.

UpSideDownCarl · Feb 21, 2018

I have been walking around with glasses that correct for nearsightedness (so for distance) and just taking them off to see up close. When things are close, I can see well enough with my glasses off. And I just play with the glasses I use for everything else. For me, it does not affect my play. I could probably play with my glasses off and be in a similar boat.

songdavid98 · Feb 21, 2018

Brs said:
Sorry for the off-topic, but what do the advanced players look at after the bounce, their opponent? And when do they pick up the ball again?

Usually, I'm looking at the court. But when I need to play at my very best, I track the ball a little bit more for some bonus consistency (like how PGPG described). When the ball is kicking (bouncing forward faster due to a lot of topspin) at the bounce, I feel more of a need to look at it.

I can aim and see the opponent with my peripheral vision, so I feel that looking at the ball is more important.

tropical · Feb 21, 2018

Either bi-focal or single works for me. It is just a matter of getting used to it.

pgpg · Feb 21, 2018

Somewhat related: if you are wearing glasses while playing, are these your normal glasses you wear elsewhere, or do you have a dedicated 'sport' version?

I only have reading glasses for work and don't even use them all the time, but lately I am starting to notice that right eye seems to be getting worse in everyday life too, so want to try glasses for TT - do I need to get special hardened frame etc.?

sderyke2002 · Feb 21, 2018

pgpg said:
Somewhat related: if you are wearing glasses while playing, are these your normal glasses you wear elsewhere, or do you have a dedicated 'sport' version?

Mine are not dedicated sport glasses (as I said they are cheap!) I do wear a strap that goes behind my head to hold them in place though. They are also not my everyday glasses. I have a good pair which are distance and reading bi-focals with transition to make them go dark outside as sun glasses. I work in computers so I have another set that is for 2 feet - for computer screens.

Really I encourage people who want to try it with a different set of glasses to go to some place cheap and get a pair or two and throw them in your bag with you towel etc.

Der_Echte · Feb 21, 2018

I could never get used to playing with glasses, but i never tried hard enough, long enough.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Silver smasher · Feb 22, 2018

Thanks for your interesting replies. Both allencorn and sderyke like single vision lenses optimised for 12 to 15 feet which is different to the distant vision glasses I am trying. I can see across the hall but cannot focus on the ball a few feet away. Their glasses would provide perfect vision of their opponent and be reasonably good if looping a long way from the table or seeing the ball close up.

I am not sure if these glasses would be much use in normal life but if you can afford top of the range equipment and expensive coaching it would be a price worth paying. I would also suggest anti reflective coating which is better under some lights. Large frames with narrow rims and sides would be preferable -though not necessarily a fashion item!

Wearing glasses- varifocals or single vision?

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