You can’t hit what you can’t see. OK, I know that some States have programs for hunters with seriously impaired vision, but for most shooters good vision is a necessity. Sure, many of us wear corrective lenses, but wouldn’t it be nice to improve our vision simply by exercising our eyes?
I’m currently following a blog by gun writer Peter Burlingame, who describes various eye exercises to improve our vision. The eye moves in three different ways: Vergence (crossing your eyes), saccades, and pursuit.
Warning! Like any exercise, start slow and work up to it gradually. If you have any physical issues with your eyes, consult an eye doctor before starting an exercise program.
Here’s the exercise to strengthen the muscles used for vergence. These muscles are used for judging distance to an object and for close-up work such as reading, threading a needle or focusing on your front sight:
With both eyes open, hold up your finger at arm’s length and focus on the tip. Slowly bring your finger back toward your nose. You should feel your eyes begin to converge and cross. Stop moving your finger when you see two images of it. Repeat the exercise. Do this every day and over time you should be able to gradually move your finger closer to your nose before you see the two images. Eventually, the goal is to touch your nose. This may take a while, so be patient.
When you can touch your nose, move your finger tip out to arm’s length. Bring it back to your nose and back out gain. Repeat several times.
John
