This week, we put football players through their paces using Blaze Pod reaction time testing and the results reinforced a truth we’ve seen for decades: elite performance isn’t just about what athletes see… it’s how fast their brain processes visual information and triggers the right response.

In football, milliseconds can be the difference between clearing a ball or conceding, winning a duel or losing position, making the squad or sitting on the bench.

In this episode, we break down the difference between simple reaction time and complex reaction time, why complex decision-making creates a significant delay, and how the best athletes train a skill I call Decision Vision, the ability to integrate perception, cognition, and motor execution under pressure.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN:

1. Simple reaction time isn’t the game: Football rarely gives you predictable “go” moments — simple reaction time is useful, but limited.
2. Decision-making is where time disappears: The moment an athlete has to identify, choose, and execute, reaction time slows, often by over 100ms.
3. Decision Vision is the real separator: Top performers process visual information faster, make better choices under pressure, and act sooner, not just quicker.
4. Train it like you play it: The best results come from testing and training vision under real game load (cognitive + physical), not in isolation.

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS:

1. 00:00 - Why milliseconds decide outcomes in football
2. 01:10 - The Blaze Pod testing session overview
3. 02:00 - Simple reaction time: what it measures and why it matters
4. 03:20 - A real-world example: dominant vs non-dominant leg reaction times
5. 04:40 - Why football isn’t simple: introducing complex reaction time
6. 06:10 - The “Decision Vision” gap (and why it’s the real separator)
7. 07:45 - The Sports Vision Pyramid: from basic vision to elite decision-making
8. 09:10 - NeuroTracker + BOSU ball: testing vision under real sport load
9. 10:40 - How deficits at lower levels create delays at the top
10. 12:00 - How we train athletes to close the gap (decision-making & anticipation)
11. 13:30 - Reacting vs anticipating: the elite advantage
12. 14:30 - Watch the full testing setup on YouTube

HELPFUL RESOURCES:

1. Sports Vision NYC
2. Connect with Dr. Laby on Instagram

After decades of working with elite athletes and championship teams, one question keeps coming up again and again:

“Can you scientifically prove that vision training improves performance?”

In this episode, we tackle the reality behind that question and explain why the issue isn’t whether sports vision works… it’s why traditional proof is so hard to produce in elite sport. We break down the statistical and practical barriers that make research in this space incredibly difficult, and what teams should do in the meantime.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN:

1. Why it’s so hard to “prove” sports vision works
2. What makes elite performance research tricky
3. What the evidence does suggest about vision and high performance
4. How teams should approach vision training now

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS:

1. 00:27 - Challenges in Proving Vision Training
2. 01:39 - Statistical Hurdles in Vision Training Research
3. 03:30 - Evidence from Existing Studies
4. 04:10 - Sport-Specific Visual Demands
5. 05:28 - The Case for Vision Training
6. 07:06 - The Future of Vision Training

HELPFUL RESOURCES:

1. Sports Vision NYC
2. Connect with Dr. Laby on Instagram
3. Pick Up a Copy of Eye of the Champion
4. Download The Ultimate Sports Vision Guide for Athletes [FREE]

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe to Sports Vision Radio so you never miss an episode on the science of peak performance.

What if the moments we call “choking” aren’t mental failures at all — but predictable physiological breakdowns?

In this episode, we explore The Power of 37, a critical performance threshold that shows up again and again in elite sport, neuroscience, and even mathematics. Drawing from decades of work with world-class athletes and insights from the classic Secretary Problem, this episode reveals why performance collapses under pressure and how champions train to withstand it.

You’ll learn why visual fatigue often precedes mechanical failure, how the eye–brain–body loop breaks down late in games, and why pushing past controlled fatigue in training is the key to sustained championship performance.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN:

• Why the 37% threshold marks the point where elite performance systems shift from control to chaos
• How visual fatigue, not mental weakness, causes late-game mistakes under pressure
• What visual fumbles and quiet-eye breakdowns reveal about performance before physical failure
• How elite athletes train beyond game intensity to push their breaking point later and reduce its impact

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS:

• 00:39 - The Power of 37 in Human Performance
• 01:19 - Neuromuscular and Visual System Breakdown
• 02:24 - Visual Fumbles in Sports
• 04:26 - Training Beyond the 37% Threshold
• 04:56 - The Importance of Visual Training
• 06:16 - Applying the Power of 37

HELPFUL RESOURCES:

• Sports Vision NYC
• Connect with Dr. Laby on Instagram
• Pick Up a Copy of Eye of the Champion
• Download The Ultimate Sports Vision Guide for Athletes [FREE]

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe to Sports Vision Radio so you never miss an episode on the science of peak performance.

How much do you really understand about the visual skills behind elite athletic performance?

In this episode, we kick off the year with something a little different — a five-question sports vision quiz drawn directly from Eye of the Champion. Whether you’re an athlete, coach, or simply fascinated by the science of high performance, this episode reveals why vision is far more than just seeing clearly, it’s about prediction, decision-making, and preparation.

You’ll discover the most misunderstood aspects of sports vision, why generic training programs often fail, and how elite athletes gain a competitive edge long before competition begins.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN:

• Why the primary role of vision in sport is prediction, not clarity
• Which Olympic sport requires the sharpest distance vision and why the answer surprises most people
• The Sports Vision Pyramid and what must be optimized before higher-level training works
• Why reaction time training only benefits certain athletes and how to know if it’s worth your time
• What the Quiet Eye phenomenon is and how it improves performance across multiple sports

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS:

• 00:43 - Question 1: Core Purpose of Vision in Sports
• 02:18 - Question 2: Sports Specific Visual Requirements
• 03:53 - Question 3: The Sports Vision Pyramid
• 05:00 - Question 4: Reaction Time and Athletic Performance
• 06:16 - Question 5: The Quiet Eye Phenomenon

HELPFUL RESOURCES:

• Sports Vision NYC
• Connect with Dr. Laby on Instagram
• Pick Up a Copy of Eye of the Champion
• Download The Ultimate Sports Vision Guide for Athletes [FREE]

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe to Sports Vision Radio so you never miss an episode on the science of peak performance.

Every season, athletes and coaches ask the same question: Does sports vision training really work, or is it just another performance trend?

After more than 30 years working with athletes across Major League Baseball, the English Premier League, and elite sport worldwide, Dr. Daniel Laby gives a clear, science-backed answer: yes, sports vision training works, but only when it’s done correctly.

In this episode, Dr. Laby cuts through the hype and explains why most vision training fails, what elite athletes do differently, and how coaches and players can train vision safely, effectively, and in a way that actually transfers to performance on the field.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN:

• Why 20/20 vision doesn’t equal elite performance and what truly matters when the game speeds up
• Which visual and perceptual-cognitive skills are actually trainable and backed by decades of research
• Why most sports vision training fails and how generic drills and apps miss real-world transfer
• How to train vision safely and effectively so it integrates with movement, decision-making, and competition

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS:

• 00:24 - Common Misconceptions About Sports Vision
• 01:02 - The Sports Vision Pyramid
• 01:16 - Key Research Findings
• 02:21 - Common Problems in Vision Training
• 03:11 - Effective Vision Training Strategies

HELPFUL RESOURCES:

• Sports Vision NYC
• Connect with Dr. Laby on Instagram
• Pick Up a Copy of Eye of the Champion
• Download The Ultimate Sports Vision Guide for Athletes [FREE]

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe to Sports Vision Radio so you never miss an episode on the science of peak performance.

There’s a brief moment before every shot, often less than half a second, that can determine success or failure. It’s not mechanics or technique. It’s what happens when the eyes stop moving.

In this episode, we explore The Quiet Eye, a powerful but often overlooked performance skill used by elite athletes. Research shows that successful performances are preceded by earlier and longer visual fixation on the correct target, while missed shots under pressure often involve late or unstable gaze shifts.

You’ll learn why Quiet Eye isn’t about staring longer, how it prepares the brain to execute movement, and how it can be trained without changing mechanics, especially when the pressure is highest.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN:

1. Quiet Eye predicts success, especially under pressure
2. It’s task-specific, the right target matters
3. The eyes prepare the brain for execution
4. Quiet Eye can be trained without changing technique

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS:

1. 00:00 - The Crucial Moment Before a Free Throw
2. 00:15 - Understanding Quiet Eye in Sports
3. 00:52 - The Science Behind Quiet Eye
4. 01:43 - Training Quiet Eye for Better Performance
5. 02:02 - Practical Quiet Eye Drills
6. 02:39 - Quiet Eye Under Pressure

HELPFUL RESOURCES:

1. Sports Vision NYC
2. Connect with Dr. Laby on Instagram
3. Pick Up a Copy of Eye of the Champion
4. Download The Ultimate Sports Vision Guide for Athletes [FREE]

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe to Sports Vision Radio so you never miss an episode on the science of peak performance.

What if the hours you spend gaming could actually help you perform better on the field, court, or ice, not just improve your K/D ratio?

In this episode, Dr. Daniel Laby dives into what sports vision science really says about gaming and athletic performance. While gaming won’t magically turn you into a superstar, research shows that the right kind of gaming, done the right way, can sharpen key visual and cognitive skills that matter in high-speed sports.

He breaks down what’s proven, what’s hype, and how athletes can use gaming strategically as part of a smart performance training program.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN:

• The right kind of gaming can sharpen sport-relevant visual skills like reaction speed, tracking moving objects, focusing in chaos, and seeing fine details faster.
• Gaming is a supplement, not a replacement for practice. The benefits are real but modest and only work when paired with proper sport training.
• Only fast-paced, competitive games played with intention matter. Casual or slow games don’t produce the same visual-cognitive benefits.
• Used strategically, gaming is low-risk and accessible, especially in the off-season or during injury and if you’re already gaming, it’s worth doing it in a way that might help performance.

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS:

• 00:36 - Scientific Evidence: Gaming Improves Vision
• 01:16 - Benefits of Gaming for Athletes
• 01:57 - Limitations and Considerations
• 03:35 - Practical Tips for Using Gaming in Training
• 04:40 - When and How to Incorporate Gaming

HELPFUL RESOURCES:

• Sports Vision NYC
• Connect with Dr. Laby on Instagram
• Pick Up a Copy of Eye of the Champion
• Download The Ultimate Sports Vision Guide for Athletes [FREE]

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe to Sports Vision Radio so you never miss an episode on the science of peak performance.

Athletes, parents, and coaches are sounding the alarm: “Their eyes just aren’t working anymore.” Missed shots, poor tracking, fuzzy vision, late reactions. These aren’t just random off days. They’re symptoms of a predictable, research-backed cascade of visual fatigue.

In today’s episode, Dr. Daniel Laby breaks down what’s actually happening when an athlete says, “I just can’t see anymore,” and why most people have been thinking about sports vision all wrong. He explains the three overlapping systems that fail under fatigue, the science behind visual breakdown, and what athletes can finally do about it.

This is a must-listen for athletes, coaches, performance staff, and parents who want to understand the hidden factor limiting high-level performance and how to train it.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN:

• Visual fatigue has three components: physical, eye muscle, and cognitive
• Fatigue follows a predictable breakdown: eye movements → gaze control → timing → decisions
• Many late-game mistakes are caused by tired eyes, not tired legs
• Visual performance under fatigue is measurable and trainable

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS:

• 00:29 - Understanding Visual Fatigue: A New Perspective
• 00:58 - Physical Fatigue and Its Impact on Vision
• 01:34 - Local Visual Oculomotor Fatigue
• 02:03 - Cognitive Fatigue: The Hidden Challenge
• 02:38 - The Predictable Pattern of Visual Breakdown
• 05:21 - Real-World Implications and Solutions
• 05:50 - Addressing Visual Fatigue

HELPFUL RESOURCES:

• Sports Vision NYC
• Connect with Dr. Laby on Instagram
• Pick Up a Copy of Eye of the Champion
• Download The Ultimate Sports Vision Guide for Athletes [FREE]

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe to Sports Vision Radio so you never miss an episode on the science of peak performance.