Vision drills run the gamut from tracking a ball tethered to a string to reacting to patterns of flashing lights. To improve a player's focus and help him overcome distractions, he might be asked questions while performing jumping jacks. To improve tracking skills, a player would have to identify rapidly moving numbers projected onto a wall. After 20 or so numbers, the player is asked how many 8's he saw. Or how many 2's or 5's.
Red dots flash randomly, and the player has to touch each one as it lights up.
It's more like riding a bicycle. Ideally, if you work half an hour per day for a three-week period, you maintain the maximum benefits.'' Over the years, players such as Dusty Baker, Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla, Don Mattingly, Will Clark and Tony Gwynn have discovered the benefits of vision training. But the one thing I want to stress is that I can't take the credit for any of these guys' success. They did it all themselves. That offseason, the vision training became part of my routine, just like lifting weights and running.