Sports that involve hand-eye coordination require so much more than just seeing clearly. Having 20/20 vision certainly helps but that's just the beginning.

The ability to concentrate is critical. Some players say that when they are "in the zone" the ball actually seems to slow down and a baseball or tennis ball can look, to them, like a beach ball.

Can you improve your "sports vision?" Are there exercises that can help your eyes? Because I treat so many professional and high-level athletes, I am often asked if vision can be improved as it relates to sports performance.

While I don't think there are exercises that can improve your vision per se, you can improve the way your body tracks moving objects by doing some simple drills. This will help on the field and on the court.

Try playing catch with a friend. Use a large Wiffle Ball (or any larger ball). Write large letters and numbers on the ball with a Sharpie. Try to call out the last number or letter you see before catching the ball. Also practice quickly focusing on a near, then far object. Keep going back and forth - faster and faster, focusing on your ability to focus properly.

The best way to improve hand-eye coordination is by practice. Tennis is one of the best activities in that regard. Also, your hand-eye coordination and tracking systems are wired pretty early in life, which is why our young children should be exposed to hand-eye coordination type sports (baseball, tennis, catch etc.). Years ago, and when I was involved in the martial arts, I thought that I had definitely improved my vision and peripheral awareness through the many drills we performed.

Also, some individuals are blessed with visual skills that give them a clear advantage if they want to play pro sports like baseball or tennis. It involves something called visual cross-dominance.

Most of us have a dominant eye. Some rare individuals are cross-dominant (the eye equivalent of being ambidextrous). These individuals can track and clearly see a moving object just as well when looking to the far right as they do when looking to the far left, something that comes in very handy on the ball field or center court. Check your eye dominance with a simple test.

Are there drills you do to help your concentration, or improve your "sports vision" capabilities?