Timo Boll's Eyesight Tested!

This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Oct 2010
2,285
892
5,082
Read 19 reviews
We all know you need good reactions for table tennis, but just how good are table tennis players reactions? Timo Boll's eye sight has been tested by a researcher who want to find out this answer. The researcher compared Timo Boll's eyesight to an amateur player and a fighter pilots eyesight.

 
  • Like
Reactions: Foxy and bobpuls
This user has no status.
abbreviations:
commentator: c
Timbo Boll: t
Dr Wernot Jendrosch: d
// is used to mark comments by me
() is used to imply the words that were not used, because of slighlty colloquial speech used. Of course it only applies to the spoken parts, not my comments. In my comments I use () to mark additional information.

Translation:
c:
,,t a exceptional sportsman. When the 27 year old is facing the top of the world the levels of the rallies peak. Up to 150 km/h speed, almost 4000 rotations per minute. Even spectators have problems following the white ball."

t:
,,You have to focus very hard on the table, you need to get in the zone then you can really concentrate on the important things, like the stamp on the ball."

c:
,,Because that's what he can see despite the high velocity."

t:
,,It givs me the ability to roughly see how it spins and according to that I position my stroke arm and the angle of my bat to be able to play a good return. This has to happen in split-seconds."

c:
,,t the sight wonder. Dr Wernot Jendrosch at the university of Bochum analyzed the sight of the 27 year old. The result: t has the magic eye."

d:
,,In our research we discovered that t has a special ability of motion perception. That means he can capture the balls very fast, follow them and as a result assess/anticipate the ball curve very early, forsee how it's also called, and thus has the ability to react early to the opponent.
If you compare his motion perception to a normal person you can say that he's about 50 - 60% above that merit."

c:
,,The clear sight of objects can for example be improved by wearing contact lenses. The ability to see fast motions is a talent. For slow movements t's gaze is gliding, like any other human he follows the ball calmly. When the movements get faster the gaze basically jumps after the ball to capture it. t's brain processes those jumps extremely fast. This allows him to have a ideal perception of the information and makes him know where the gaze has to jump next."

d:
,,t for one has a improved perception for motion that amongst other things consists of his ability to use his gaze-jumps much more effectively. Which of course also gives him the opportunity to locate the ball at the best moment to estimate the ball curve in a way that allows him to hit the ball at the correct moment in the correct place."

c:
,,If t really has the ability to even see the stamp on the ball is what we want to test now. In the Germany wide first experiment of this kind we shoot the table tennis pro with a ball-machine. The stamp has been replaced by numbers ranging from 0 to 9. t's opponent: the 21 year old Benedict, player from the national league. t goes first."

//following is the players calling the numbers and the team checking everything. They are going through 3 speed levels and //counting their successful tries out of 5.
//result is t winning in the first two speeds, but Benedict winning at the highest speed due to having the better strategy of //following the ball for a longer time.
//from 4:30 there's the introduction of the fighter pilot (40 years old) which ends about 5:20

c:
,,We want to know whose sight is best: fighter pilot Volker, table tennis pro t or even hobby player Benedict who beat t at the test with the ball-machine by using his cleverness. However today no tricks will help. The big Planetopia-test at the university of Bochum will be conducted under the supervision of d.
The ring moves from the left to the right side over the display. With a gaze jump the participants have to capture the ring and assess the location of the gap in the ring, all that while the speed is constantly increased. The measurement is done in degree per second. The average person would achieve a result of 180 at this test which is about equal to a speed of 50 km/h.
Benedict goes first
//following is scenes from the test and Banedict calling out the location of the gap. He can tell the location correctly up to a //speed of 205 degrees per second.
d can rank his score for us."

d:
,,This is a excellent score which results from Benedict still being very young with his 21 years, but also because he learned perceving movement much more precisely because of his training."

c:
,,Next goes the fighting pilot. How will he fare on the ground?
//following is scenes from his test.
His score is a surprise: He achieves a score of 180 and is consequently worse than the hobby player."

d:
,,If we look at the capability of the eye muscles his values are about average. However we have to take into account that this ability is not demanded at a higher standart in his job. That means that his sight ability is less demanded than for example for athletes."

c:
,,t is the last in the test. The tension is rising, the speed as well. The ring is moving so fast over the display that the gap is only visible in slowmotion. WC winner t achieves a score of 330 degrees per second which is equivalent to 90 km/h. A great accomplishment. (This results from) A lot of talent, but also training."

d:
,,The motion perception ability can be trained very much, there's a number of athletes that already use this fact for their practical training. For example in tennis and volleyball it's common to train and school dynamic vision by using specific practice methods."

c:
,,The ability to perceive motion is of elementary importance in sports to belong to the top. The ability to see fast object can be trained. However only t has the magical eyes."

edit:
finished the translation, but left out some parts. Hope it helps. ;)
 
Last edited:
Top