CJ Johnson Headshot
CJ Johnson
Tony Roig
Tony Roig

See Better – Play Better Pickleball

Are you looking to improve as a pickleball player? To have more confidence as balls come whizzing at you on the court? If you are reading this, I would venture the answer as “yes.”

You can do several things to improve as a pickleball player: drill different shots, study game strategy, or take a lesson. All of these are steps you can take to move you forward down the path to becoming the player you want to be. But there is one thing that you can do that will significantly improve your game and your life that you probably have not considered. If you see better you will play better pickleball.

Pickleball is a visual sport.

First, you need to see the ball, preferably as soon as possible, off your opponent’s paddle, recognize its trajectory, speed, projected depth, and rotation. Then you need to track the ball, sometimes as far as 15 yards (45 feet), from your opponent’s paddle all the way to yours. Finally, as the ball nears, you need to fine-tune where you think the ball will end up going so that you can hit it with your paddle. Even here, you want to hit the ball as close to the sweet spot on your paddle as possible.

You are doing this hundreds (maybe even thousands) of times a week. And make no mistake about it: the better you see the ball, the better you will play pickleball. Not only that, the better you will live –think about your night driving depth perception and potential danger recognition.

The good news is that your vision can be improved.

We are not talking about getting your vision to 20/20 – this is not magic. Instead, we are talking about strengthening the muscles in your eyes and quickening the connection between your eyes’ signals and your reactions to what they are seeing.

Experts designed the Vizual Edge training to test and then train various aspects of your vision: convergence, divergence, and tracking are some of the areas trained. The Vizual Edge training platform is used by many top athletes in sports where strong visual skills are critical to success, including numerous major league baseball and hockey players.

Vizual Edge is also the program that CJ and I use to keep our vision trained and ready for whatever is coming our way, on the pickleball court and in life.

You can find out more about the Vizual Edge training and find the program that best works for you here.

You also get the best rate available to pickleball players looking to add Vizual Edge training to their program. Your purchase through this link helps support our efforts to grow the sport and bring your quality content.

As you know, CJ and I do not endorse products and services lightly. We turn down product endorsement offers all the time. We will only recommend products and services to you that we believe in or, more often, use ourselves.

Important disclosure: We’re proud affiliates for some of these tools, meaning if you click a link and make a purchase, we earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Our recommendations are based on deep experience with and knowledge of these companies and their products, and we recommend them because they are genuinely helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we may receive. Please don’t spend any money on these products unless you believe they will help you achieve your goals.

CJ Johnson

Hey there — I’m a professional three-sport athlete and coach who has spent my entire adult life earning a living from playing and coaching sports. Since I started coaching more than three decades ago, one thing has remained the same: My commitment to see students not as they are but as what they can become and to move heaven and earth to help them realize their untapped potential. You should know that when it comes to helping pickleball players over 50 live their best lives on and off the courts, I'm an expert. Good pickleball is not just technique; it's the mind and body working holistically. That's why I'm also a personal trainer and weight management specialist. When I’m chillin', you'll find me watching Star Trek with my husband John and our two fur babies, Shirley and Ralph. (Yes, Happy Days)

11 Comments

  1. Avatar photo Wally walker on November 25, 2021 at 1:22 am

    CJ have a great thanksgiving. Are those shoes good for you then I need to know how to find them. Thanks for your help. Dee got her knee replacement doing just fine. Hope to see you in Person soon. Wally

    • Avatar photo CJ Johnson on November 25, 2021 at 2:23 am

      Wally, I’ve missed seeing you! Say hi to Miss Dee and if you want to play a little indoors let me know maybe we can meet for a game in Truckee or down in Reno!

  2. Avatar photo Steve Nelson on November 26, 2021 at 4:59 am

    I have partial visual impairment in one eye. Can I still benefit from Visual Edge?

    • Avatar photo CJ Johnson on November 26, 2021 at 5:25 pm

      Hi Steve, we reached out to the experts at Vizual Edge, and here’s what they had to say.

      Unfortunately, it will likely be ineffective for Steve if he does not have function in both eyes. Our program utilizes binocular vision, so he’ll need both eyes to do all of the 3D exercises.

      If this doesn’t completely answer your question email us at support.betterpickleball.com.

  3. Avatar photo J on December 12, 2021 at 2:50 pm

    Can someone who is color blind benefit? Red and green colors are the issue. Concerned because one of the lenses in the VE glasses is red.

    • Avatar photo CJ Johnson on December 12, 2021 at 10:51 pm

      I know we’ve asked that question previously and I can’t remember the answer. So, I’ll ask again!

    • Avatar photo CJ Johnson on December 12, 2021 at 11:45 pm

      Here’s what the experts at Vizual Edge had to say about color blindness

      Anyone who is Red/Blue colorblind will not be able to use 50% of the exercises we provide, including the baseline test so it is likely not worth the investment for them.

      • Avatar photo J on December 13, 2021 at 12:00 am

        Thank you, CJ!

  4. Avatar photo J on February 20, 2022 at 3:56 pm

    CJ, Am I correct that a computer mouse is used in conjunction with the Visual Edge? I can’t seem to find a video as to how it’s actually used/played. Thank you!

    • Avatar photo CJ Johnson on February 21, 2022 at 2:52 am

      Hello, it’s actually best with keyboard so it will work on a computer or a pad. You can do the pad without the keyboard but there’s a little learning curve to get the right touch. It can’t be done on a phone because the screen is too small. Any other questions let us know.

      • Avatar photo J on February 21, 2022 at 12:12 pm

        Awesome! Thank you!

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