This week's issue was inspired by two people close to me. One is a pickleball friend who struggles with dry eyes, and the other is my mother, who deals with the same problem in daily life.

When your eyes are dry, strained, or not functioning at their best, it can slow your reaction time, blur your focus, and make even routine shots feel more challenging than they should.

Understanding how vision impacts your game and knowing what you can do to keep your eyes healthy both on and off the court can make a real difference in how you play and feel during those long outdoor sessions.

Pickleball is a fast sport, and even small changes in vision can make a significant difference in how well you track the ball and respond to opponents. Many players focus on improving footwork, reflexes, or paddle skills, but they often forget that the eyes are the first link in the entire performance chain. When your vision is blurry, strained, or unstable, everything that follows becomes slower and less precise.

Dry eyes may sound like a minor inconvenience, but on the court they can feel like sandpaper grinding with every blink. This condition causes blurred vision, light sensitivity, and difficulty maintaining focus on moving objects. On bright outdoor courts, wind and sun exposure make the problem significantly worse, creating a perfect storm for visual discomfort. For players already dealing with dry eye issues, the result can be slower reaction times, misjudged distances, and unnecessary errors that have nothing to do with skill level.

As players get older, vision naturally undergoes several important shifts that directly impact court performance. Presbyopia makes it increasingly difficult to focus on near objects, which explains why some experienced players suddenly struggle with balls right at the net or have trouble reading the score. Cataracts, which gradually cloud the natural lens of the eye, scatter incoming light and create problematic glare, particularly troublesome under bright sun or harsh overhead court lighting. Conditions like macular degeneration, though less common, can also affect central vision and make tracking a small, fast-moving ball more challenging. Even relatively mild changes that go uncorrected can slow visual reflexes more than most people realize.

Many players unconsciously adapt to declining vision without recognizing what is happening. Squinting more often during play, consistently missing what should be easy lobs, or feeling like the ball seems to "appear late" during rallies are all subtle clues that vision is not as sharp as it needs to be for optimal performance. Headaches that develop after long playing sessions, increased eye rubbing between points, or a general sense of visual fatigue are other commonly overlooked warning signs that deserve attention.

Beyond performance issues, vision problems significantly increase the risk of injury during play. Poor depth perception makes players more likely to misstep on court surfaces or collide with partners at the kitchen line during scrambles. Slower visual reaction times mean less margin to dodge a hard drive headed toward your face or body. Maintaining good vision is not just about winning more points or playing better pickleball, it is fundamentally about keeping yourself safe on the court.

If vision is the first link in performance, then protecting and strengthening it should be part of every player's routine just like conditioning or skill practice. The encouraging news is that there are simple, practical ways to keep your eyes healthier, reduce irritation during play, and even sharpen how effectively you track the ball across the court.

Dry eyes are often significantly worse during outdoor play, where sun, wind, and even courtside fans can pull moisture away from the surface of the eye throughout long sessions. Simple steps like wearing wraparound sunglasses, using lubricating eye drops before and after play, or positioning yourself with your back to the wind when possible can make a noticeable difference in comfort and clarity. Staying properly hydrated also matters more than most players realize, since dehydration affects far more than just your mouth and often shows up in the eyes first as that gritty, uncomfortable feeling.

Carrots get all the attention in discussions about eye health, but the real heavy hitters for vision are nutrients like lutein and zeaxanthin, which are found in leafy greens such as spinach and kale. These compounds work by protecting the retina from harmful high-energy light waves like ultraviolet rays and filtering out damaging blue light, while also functioning as antioxidants that prevent cellular damage in the eye. Omega-3 fatty acids from fish or high-quality supplements can significantly reduce dry eye symptoms by controlling inflammation in the tear glands and improving the quality of tears your eyes produce. Vitamin C and zinc play important roles in preventing age-related changes like macular degeneration, with research showing that these antioxidants help protect the delicate blood vessels in the retina from oxidative stress. Building meals around a colorful plate filled with these nutrients is one of the best long-term defenses for maintaining sharp vision as you age.

Your eyes, like any other muscle system, benefit from targeted training that challenges them in different ways. A simple routine that works well is the "20-20-20 rule": every 20 minutes of close focus work, look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds to reset your focusing muscles. On court, tracking drills like juggling, reaction-ball practice, or even certain fast-paced video games can help sharpen visual processing speed and hand-eye coordination. These approaches may sound quirky, but they are evidence-backed ways to keep the brain-eye connection operating at peak efficiency.

Pickleball has become one of the fastest-growing sports for eye injuries, mostly from stray balls during quick exchanges and occasional paddle collisions during scrambles at the net. Quality protective eyewear with UV protection guards against both trauma and cumulative sun damage that builds up over years of outdoor play. Modern sport glasses are lightweight, feature anti-fog coatings, and are much less clunky than the old-style racquetball goggles that many players remember. For players already struggling with dryness, wraparound lens designs can also reduce airflow directly hitting the eyes and minimize irritation during windy conditions.

Vision is one of those things most players take for granted until it starts to slip, but the eyes are as important to your game as your legs or your paddle technique. Dryness, strain, or uncorrected changes can quietly chip away at both performance and safety on the court without you even realizing what's happening.

The encouraging news is that small, consistent habits like proper hydration, targeted nutrition, protective eyewear, and a few simple tracking drills can make a noticeable difference in how clearly you see the ball and how comfortably you play.

In future issues I want to keep highlighting these often underappreciated factors that shape how well we perform, from sleep quality to joint care and recovery strategies. For now, I hope this week's focus on vision helps you see the game a little more clearly, both literally and figuratively.

Boris.

Disclaimer: This newsletter is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read in this newsletter.