Aging Eyes

 

“I’m 48 and I’ve noticed some changes in my vision over the past few years that I think are affecting my shooting. It there any way to compensate for this?”

 

Age-related vision changes are usually noticeable in our 40s or 50s. Our ability to rapidly transition our focus between twoobjects at different distances is possible because of the flexibility of the lens located behind the cornea in our eye. Most of us need some form of magnification for reading by the time we reach this age because our lens has become stiffer and less flexible. We also may notice a greater sensitivity to glare, a need for brighter light to see, and diminished ability to see at night and discern contrast between similar colors. This is due to a gradual discoloration or “clouding” of the lens, which makes it more difficult to see black targets against foliage or orange targets against a blue or overcast sky.

What do we do about these pesky age-related vision changes? My advice is the same regardless of the age of the shooter. 1) Eye health is critical to high-performance shooting, so get an annual eye exam. Vision changes can sometimes be symptomatic of more serious medical conditions. 2) Optimize your distance vision. Understand that optimizing your distance vision may adversely impact your close-up vision, so, with the help of your eye doctor, deter- mine the optimum prescription for you and discuss the possibility of a mono-vision solution for your everyday prescription and a different distance prescription for shooting. 3) Use the highest quality shooting glasses available. I’m partial to Pillas because of their clarity and color technology. 4) When selecting lens color, choose the one that optimizes the contrast of the targets versus the background. There are specific solutions for those with color-related deficits (color blindness). 5) When choosing a lens density (light or dark color), opt for the brightest lens available with- out causing eye strain, given the light conditions. This al- lows the maximum amount of light into the eye.

Eye health, optimal acuity and maximum contrast all contribute to the quality of your visual connections with the target.

Don Currie is NSCA’s Chief Instructor, an Orvis Wingshooting School instructor, and Master Class competitor. To get free shooting tips and videos, sign up for his monthly newsletter. You can also see more tips from Currie at www.doncurrie.com.