Who hasn't dreamed of having the same reflexes as Anakin Skywalker during his podracing on Tatooine?
Reaching that same level of performance requires extraordinary hand-eye coordination. As a pro gamer, you know that this coordination is paramount to being the best. Several Anglo-Saxon studies highlight that video gaming itself is a very good exercise for improving this skill.
In this article, we explain what it entails, the problems associated with it, and the exercises you need to know to maintain a good level of coordination.
In this article:
- What is hand-eye coordination?
- Our coordination exercises
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Problems affecting coordination
What is hand-eye coordination?
A skill at your fingertips
Hand-eye coordination (or oculomotor coordination) is defined as the ability to coordinate our eyes and hands simultaneously.
In other words, in the world of video games, it is the ability to synchronize what you see on the screen with what you command via your controller.
Why is it so important?
For a player like you, nothing is more important than working on this coordination to improve the connection between what you see and what you do in the game.
Here, we explain why this faculty is so essential and why it will definitely allow you to avoid getting killed by a sniper camping at the back of the map:
- First of all, our eyes allow us to perceive the visual elements that appear in a game, as well as guide our character or avatar through the space of a level. Our attention is therefore engaged in order to send the perceived image to our brain and react accordingly.
- Next, based on the visual information received and assimilated by our cerebral system, our hands receive a number of orders that determine specific tasks and actions in a simultaneous and coordinated manner. This is the concept of action-reaction.
In high-level sports, and therefore in e-sports of course, oculomotor coordination is taken very seriously. The more this skill improves, the greater your reflexes and your response time in the game will be.
How do I know my level of coordination?
It's not enough to click the Start button and check your character sheet to know your level of coordination. Life isn't The Sims. In fact, it is quite difficult to accurately assess your hand-eye coordination level since there isn't really an official scale to "rate" this ability.
Regardless, it is possible to improve it at any age.
You should know that this skill evolves from birth. You probably don't remember, but all those little wooden toys your parents bought you when you were small helped you awaken this motor skill in your first months.
Our brain is an organ that can change according to the activities we learn. We call this neuroplasticity. Of course, the older we get, the harder it is to mold or improve this capacity, but it is never too late to train it.
Neuroplasticity refers to the reorganization capabilities in our nervous and cognitive system. By improving our oculomotor coordination, areas of our brain – the somatosensory areas – grow and record what we learn. It's like when you level up one of your Pokémon, except the Pokémon here is your brain.
As a result, our capabilities improve and become more and more robust. This is also why: the more you play a game, the better you will perform in it.
How do I maintain good hand-eye coordination?
In the world of esports, when we talk about improving hand-eye coordination, we immediately think about improving reaction time, action speed, and accuracy in the game. There is a true synchronization of our hand movements in relation to the information acquired and captured by our eyes.
There are some essential prerequisites that allow you to preserve this coordination on a daily basis:
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Have good eyesight: eye health will always be an essential prerequisite for this coordination. The eye captures visual information, so it must be in good condition to perceive all this data. An exam with your ophthalmologist and, if necessary, getting glasses to boost your vision points can make a big difference.
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Get enough rest: a good night's sleep allows you to regenerate your brainpower. Remember to always rest well to keep your concentration bar at its maximum and react at lightning speed during a match.
In addition to this essential foundation, there are exercises to know to improve your oculomotor skills. We have selected a few for you in order to optimize your hand-eye synchronization so that it approaches that of a superhero.
Our selection of coordination exercises
Ball games
One of the most interesting (and simple) practices to strengthen hand-eye coordination.
All sports are generally good for improving and maintaining good hand-eye coordination, but ball games (tennis, rugby, handball) are exercises particularly suited to the development of your oculomotor capacities.
We recommend sports such as
- tennis
- badminton
- ping pong
If you are short on time or can't find interesting sports activities near you, you can always have fun on your own by throwing a ball against a wall and catching it. It might seem basic, but it's also an excellent exercise and there are fun variations to set up (with several balls, for example).
Juggling
Still with ball games but this time with a more artistic aspect, learning to juggle is a discipline particularly effective for boosting your hand-eye coordination. There is arguably nothing better to strengthen the correlation that exists between your eyes, your brain, and your hands.
If you want to get into it, there are plenty of tutorials on YouTube to learn and start. Once you can juggle two balls, add a third. Then, little by little, add a few extra challenges!
If you don't become a champion at StarCraft II, at least you'll have learned something else to show off at parties!
Rock climbing
As stated in an article from the Institute of Cerebral Motor Skills, climbing is a discipline very often recommended for improving hand-eye coordination. Indeed, in this athletic exercise, your eyes determine the path you are going to take during your ascent. There is therefore a constant exchange between what your gaze assimilates and what your hands are going to grab to move forward. In addition to being useful for your motor skills, it is an excellent sport for staying in good physical shape.
Manual activities
From painting Warhammer figurines to assembling an X-Wing to building a Lego Technic set, all these hobbies are beneficial on an oculomotor level. Even if it seems like a simple pastime to you, it will also improve your hand-eye coordination (and it will allow you to relax between two intense matches).
Manual and creative activities help improve the control of your hands and fingers according to the information your eyes send them.
Training your concentration
Concentration is part of the mechanics that come into play in hand-eye coordination. By increasing your ability to switch quickly from a nearby object to a distant object, you will work on your concentration.
To improve this skill, nothing complicated. Take two objects of similar size, like two books. Then place them at two different distances. First, focus on the closest object for a few seconds, analyzing it carefully, then switch to the other, more distant object. Continue this back-and-forth for a good minute, trying to discover new details with each round trip.
Tip: There is an interesting app you can download to improve your reaction time - Lumosity.
Problems related to hand-eye coordination
Hand-eye coordination can be disturbed by various environmental and pathological phenomena. Generally, these disorders result from a dysfunction of the cerebellum, the area of our brain that coordinates our movements.
Poor eyesight can also be a factor in anomalies of oculomotor coordination since good eye quality is a paramount data point in this synchronized interrelation.
To avoid these problems, you must:
- Avoid excessive alcohol consumption, which can irreversibly damage the cerebellum.
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Vitamin E deficiency leads to alterations in the coordination of our movements. It is important to always follow a healthy and balanced diet, as we suggest in our article on nutrition for gamers.
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Protect your eyes after long hours in front of your computer or television screen. To do this, what better way than to choose the best pair of protective glasses by consulting our guide.
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Practice a sport or physical activity regularly to keep your body in shape, improve your coordination skills, release daily stress, and boost your concentration.
To conclude, remember that...
... hand-eye coordination is a fundamental element for all high-level gamers. Indeed, this quality helps improve the motor process that coordinates your hands and eyes in order to have better performance during your gaming sessions.
To stimulate this skill, there are many exercises. From simple physical activity to other more manual practices, the potential for improvement can prove beneficial if paired with principles and rules of a healthy and balanced lifestyle.
Comments
Vous êtes des goat je cherchais à améliorer ma routine de joueur smash et j’espère pouvoir vaincre des joueurs pro grâce à vous