Vision and golf

[gslabbert]

Eyes changing with old age

I guess that I cannot be the only person with this kind of problem. here is how it shakes out.

I had perfect vision all my life and never needed glasses of any sort for reading or otherwise, then at age 46 my eyes started loosing the elasticity and my focal points started moving further out, and I thought that it was my arms that were shrinking :cheesy: but I digress, anyway it became harder for me to see the slope of the greens and the subtle grain. I looked into Lasik but was told that unless your lenses were deformed there was nothing they could do. Seems Lasik reshapes the lenses. Anyway I have tried to wear glasses to play but I cannot get used to having my horizons blurred (vision outside of 15 ft is perfect). I have tried progressive lenses,but when am over the ball then look at the target through the corner of my glasses everything is blurred so target referencing becomes impossible. I have tried contacts but again they blur distance vision, I have even tried progressive contact lenses. They seem to work the best, well until it gets a little gloomy and your pupils dialate, then because these types of lenses work on a circular rings of different magnification everything is out out focus ad becomes more so as your pupils dialate more.

Now if I simply dont wear glasses I cannot read greens and I cannot read my yardage charts nor can I read a scorecard. What I currently do is read greens from a distance, walk the edge of a green and start from the low point. This seems to work bst, but I still miss a number of putts due to miss reads.

Who else out there has these kinds of issues and how were they resolved.

[karjar]

Would like to tell you I have found a resolve for this, but I think this summer is going to be even worse for me. I had Lasik a number of years ago to get rid of glasses. So much nicer when playing in the rain to look down and only see one ball! But at about the same age you mentioned, my arms started shrinking. Now to top it off I have had to have cataract surgery (an I am only 48). One eye done, another to come. So now with cataract surgery my eye sees clos to mid range, but long range will require glasses. The other eye has not been done yet, but it see far, but not close. so now I see close with right eye, mid range with both, and long range with left. I have no idea what will happen when golf season starts here in a couple of months. Just more excuses to buy more putters because I KNOW it could not be me! :cheesy:

[gjones77]

I also wish I had an answer, but I've had to wear glasses my whole life, and I wear contacts now with no issues.

 

Then again, I'm 28 so my arms don't appear to be getting shorter at all... yet :cheesy:

 

My best advice is to try wearing one contact, as my mother does this since she only needs glasses for reading, and she's a waitress, so the doctor only has her wearing a contact in one eye...

 

Might help...

[Golfdog]

I have been wrestling with this issue as well. I have needed reading glasses for several years now. Lately, my distance vision has begun to erode. I pretty much can't read scorecards or distance books. Last year, I began playing in contacts that correct for somewhat near vision--objects 5'-15' appear the sharpest. This put the ball in focus at address, and greatly improved my ability to read greens. I can kinda read the scorecard now. The only downside was that my distance vision was a little blurry (I'd see two flags), especially late in the round. A month ago, I went to another eye doc to get an Rx for sunglasses. This doc was GREAT! She made some adjustments to my contact Rx, and gave me an Rx for sunglasses. I got a pair of Maui Jim prescription sunlgasses, and a different kind of contact lenses.

 

The Maui Jims are outstanding. They enhance the contrast in the greens and enable me to see subtle contours much better. The lenses are large, so they are not distracting during full swings.

 

The new contacts are great, too. I can see much more clearly in them than I could in my old ones. They also don't make my eyes dry out toward the end of the round as my others did.

 

So now I used the sunglasses in sunny weather, and the contacts in cloudy/rainy weather.

[tseyepro]

I am an optometrist. We do try a distance contact lens in one eye and near or intermediate in the non-dominant eye (monovision). I wear this myself. Distance slight blurry with dim illumination but overall usually good for about 75% of people. You might also try the Nike MaxSight lenses. Can also be utilized with monovision. Drawbacks- eyes look dark and should not night drive with these lenses.

[golf2da]

I am 58 and wore glasses since I was 19. I had the lazer surgery and just love it. Not having to wear glasses in the rain. They asked me if I wanted mono vision where one is for close and one is for distance and I chose not to because of lack of depth perception. It does make it hard to read up close but reading the greens is no problem. Reading small print I need to stick the arm out as far as I can, but it still beats the glasses.