On the Field.
In Ten Minutes.
Vision Combine is a screening platform, not a training app. A coach sets up an iPad at a fixed distance from the player, the player runs a short battery of tests on their phone, and the system flags anyone whose visual system falls short of the standard elite baseball requires. From there, we route the player to a partnered sports-vision optometrist for professional care.
Setting Up a Screening
What you need
- An iPadMounted on a stand 10 feet from the player.
- An iPhoneIn the player’s hand as the response device.
- A rosterEntered in the Vision Combine coach dashboard.
Run the session
Create a session in the dashboard
Pick a team, pick the players you’re screening today, and the dashboard issues a session code.
Launch Vision Combine on both devices
The iPad becomes the stimulus display; the player’s phone becomes the responder. Both devices join the session with the same code.
Run the battery
Each player runs through the full test battery (under 10 minutes per player) while you or an assistant coach supervises.
Review and refer
Results sync to the dashboard in real time. Players flagged below benchmarks are automatically queued for referral to a partnered optometrist.
What We Measure
The battery focuses on the three visual skills most directly correlated with batting performance in peer-reviewed research. We measure these skills — we don’t train them. Training is the job of a qualified sports-vision optometrist, which is exactly who we refer flagged players to.
Visual Acuity
The classic 20/20 measurement — how fine a detail the eye can resolve at distance. Reported in Snellen (20/15, 20/13, etc.) and benchmarked against MLB averages.
- •Monocular and binocular
- •Distance-calibrated optotypes
- •Flags anything below 20/20
Contrast Sensitivity
Pelli-Robson-style measurement of how low-contrast a target a player can reliably detect. Correlates directly with tracking the ball against a cluttered or shadowed background.
- •Pelli-Robson log score
- •Normal threshold: log 1.5 / 3.2% contrast
- •Pro benchmark: 1.9%–1.26% contrast
Dynamic Visual Acuity
Measures how well the player resolves a moving target — closer to game conditions than a static chart. Dynamic acuity declines differently than static acuity, and the gap often surfaces hidden deficits.
- •Moving optotype tracking
- •Multiple velocities / directions
- •Compared to static baseline
See The Science for the research behind each of these tests, including Laby et al. (2019) and Adair’s physics work.
How Results Are Scored
Acuity benchmarks
What coaches see
Every session produces a per-player report and a roll-up for the whole team.
- •Per-player: acuity (each eye + binocular), contrast sensitivity log score, dynamic acuity delta, session timestamp
- •Flags: below-benchmark results are highlighted and auto-queued for referral
- •Trend: baseline vs. latest, with per-player deltas over the last six sessions
- •Referral packet: shared with the partnered optometrist with one click
From Screening to Care
Screening is only useful if the players who need help actually get it. Vision Combine closes the loop.
Flag
Players whose results fall below the benchmark are automatically flagged in the coach dashboard.
Route
The coach reviews and sends a referral to a partnered sports-vision optometrist with the player’s on-field data attached.
Certify
The optometrist performs a full clinical evaluation, treats or corrects as needed, and issues a certified report back to the program.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a session take?
Around 8 to 10 minutes per player for the full battery. A full roster of 20 players can typically be screened in a single practice.
Is this a replacement for an eye exam?
No. Vision Combine is a screening tool, not a clinical diagnostic. Anything we flag is routed to a licensed optometrist in the partner network for a full evaluation.
Does Vision Combine train vision?
No. We measure visual function and connect players who need help with the sports-vision optometrists who can actually train and correct it.
Is the app available now?
We’re running an invite-only pilot with select programs for the 2026 season. If you’re a coach, program director, or optometrist who wants in, request pilot access.
What ages is it for?
Any player old enough to follow the test instructions — roughly 10 and up. The benchmarks are calibrated to the level the player is competing at.
What happens to the data?
Results belong to the program and the player. See our privacy policy for details on storage, sharing, and deletion.