Exercises to Improve Hand-Eye Coordination

After the vision system analyzes information it receives through eyes, it has to direct, control, and guide the hand movement so that one can complete the required action. This is known as one's hand to eye coordination. It basically involves using the eyes to maneuver hands for accomplishing a task. As most of the movements of the hands would require visual assistance, one needs to have a good hand-eye coordination, even to perform simple tasks like catching a ball, writing, and developing good motor skills.

This is one aspect which works best when people develop it at a young age. However, not everyone is born with proper motor senses and hence, need to develop it later on in life. Parents often observe such problems when the child is young, by noticing poor drawing or writing abilities.

These problems could be due to movement disorders or a handicapped vision. The former is apparent through impaired body movements, while the latter can be deduced from an inability to get a perfect vision. Here are a few activities and drills that might prove beneficial and these can be practiced by children and adults alike.

Playing goalie is a very effective coordination improving drill, using a ball. You would have to act like a soccer goal keeper and ask someone to throw a ball at you. All that you are supposed to do is stop the ball using only your hands. You should ask the other person to increase the throwing speed and to reduce distance, after you get comfortable in fending off balls.

This activity can be done by oneself or along with a friend. Ask the friend to stand at a distance and throw a ball at you. You are supposed to catch it using both the hands and throw it back. A variation of this exercise is to throw the ball up in the air on your own and then, catch it. You can start using balls which are larger in size and then come down to the smaller-sized ones.

You would need to use a basketball for this activity. Stand in front of a wall and throw the basketball against it. When the ball rebounds off the wall, instead of catching it, try pushing it back on to the wall by using your fingers. Continue doing this and try using one hand.

Though not a lot of parents will second this, playing video games goes a long way in improving the coordination. Video games or PC games, especially the ones involving shooting, can improve one's visual perception qualities. One's reflexes start improving slowly and the time taken to react in certain situations also improves.

This is one of the effective coordination exercises for young children. When in school, children can try tracing out different shapes on a drawing paper. This would help them in enhancing their observation skills, along with the corresponding hand movement that this particular activity requires. An option of tracing with help of the computer mouse would also prove useful.

Research studies have proved that consuming at least 20 mg of zinc through daily diet can also improve a person's motor senses. Therefore, one can modify their diet in a manner that would include more consumption of foods containing zinc. However, it is advisable to consult the concerned doctor or a dietitian before making any changes on your own.

One can start playing any racket sport that one is comfortable with. The various sports like lawn tennis, table tennis, squash, and badminton call for a person to react according to the opposite player's movements and then, hitting back accordingly. Even if one is not an exceptional player, keep playing for a while and one would surely improve their coordination.

A speed bag which boxers practice on, can be purchased and fixed in one's room. Whenever one gets time, one can keep boxing the speed bag like the boxers do. This not only proves beneficial but also makes one more alert.

On a conclusive note, the best way to improve hand-eye coordination is to take up a sport. It could be any sport that one has an interest in and one should start playing it regularly at an early age itself. People with a poor coordination may struggle initially while following the aforementioned exercises. However, as their skill improves gradually, they would surely get better. With a little bit of self-discipline and patience, one would surely succeed.

Disclaimer: This Story is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.