EYEWEAR FORE GOLF

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Golfers who need corrective lenses, especially PALs, have very specific visual needs and challenges. But they are also passionate about their sport, their equipment, and the clarity with which they view the greens

BY SUSAN TARRANT

Definity Fairway Transitions Performance Sun lenses. Image courtesy of Transitions Optical, Inc.

WITH MORE THAN 25 MILLION GOLFERS IN THE U.S., PATIENTS WHO GOLF ARE A DEMOGRAPHIC THAT SHOULD NOT BE OVERLOOKED—FOR MANY REASONS. Not only are they passionate about their sport, they have visual needs that are unlike any other sport due to the very specific head positioning and posture of the golf swing as well as the varying visual distances.

And, given the fact that golfers are receptive to anything that will help them on the links—from the newest club design to their “lucky” plaid pants—serving the visual needs of these patients on the links is good for business.

VISUAL CHALLENGES

For golfers, it’s all about clear vision at all distances and in all light conditions. For those who wear corrective lenses, clear vision can become a challenge because of the unique nature of the sport’s varying visual distances: Near to read a scorecard, a five- to eight-foot crisp zone at the bottom to see the ball pre-swing, and distance to follow the ball and survey the course.

For single vision wearers, clarity of vision with no distortion on the periphery is the goal. This is especially true for high-wrap styles (preferred among golfers for many reasons). For progressive wearers, the visual challenges are even greater, as the zone structure of everyday progressives (even free-form) does not match the zone structure needed by golfers.

“Most people I had been fitting [for golf] had been opting to leave their adds off, just because it’s easier,” says Chad Waggoner, O.D., of Clarus Optical in Lacey, WA, “But as the designs are changing and getting better, that’s changing.”

What’s changing is that though some people still prefer to put a near-vision round seg off to the side for reading the card, especially if they are using flatter lenses, more and more golfing patients are opting for specialty golf PALs in a performance sport frame.

These lenses, such as the Definity Fairway by Essilor and Shamir Golf by Shamir Insight, manipulate and optimize the visual distances most needed by golfers. The lenses manage the power structure of the lens differently than standard progressives in order to benefit the specific needs of golfers. For instance, a full near add at the bottom of the lens means the ball and tee would be blurry unless the golfer moves his head to find the clear zone.

“If you don’t have a design that can provide clarity in the periphery, for when golfers are looking from the tee to the course and back again, you’re going to have a lot more unnecessary head movement,” says Pam Benson-Gibson, ABOC, director of education for Shamir Insight. “Any time you have head movement, it impacts posture and how they are addressing the ball. And that impacts how well they are hitting the ball.”

Shamir Golf lenses. Image courtesy of Shamir Insight

EYEWEAR MUST-HAVES

The choices in golf eyewear abound, with a plethora of major sports brands and golf-specific brands offering specialty frames and lens tints to boost visual performance. Whether the patient is interested in plano lenses, single vision lenses, or progressives, the golf eyewear you offer patients should include the following:

• LIGHT MANAGEMENT. Golfers play at all hours of the day, from sunrise to sunset and every sun position in between. They play on sunny days, overcast days, in full sun exposure, and in the shade. A photochromic lens option will provide the golfer a variable tint that fits whatever light condition is at hand.

“You can’t sacrifice your vision out on the course,” says Sandy Callwood, Transitions Optical, Inc.’s marketing manager, sunwear. “You can’t pick your glasses up and put them on top of your head when it gets cloudy.”

• FRAME INNOVATIONS. Like all sports sunwear, today’s top frames are lightweight and provide such benefits as ventilation, perspiration management, and stabilizing nose pads.

• PROTECTION. Because of golfers’ exposure to the sun, lenses must offer protection from UV. A wrap style is preferred to maximize protection.

• LENS TECHNOLOGY. The lenses themselves must be lightweight, preferably impact resistant, and offer superior vision and contrast on the green (see color recommendations, below). Frame/lens partnerships that feature removable lenses allow wearers to change lenses either because of weather conditions or a change of sport-specific activity.

To polarize or not? Like lens tint, a preference for polarized lenses is a golfer’s personal choice. On the “yes” side are those who contend that polarization helps cut glare and allows wearers to see more comfortably. On the “no” side are those who contend that golf courses are not flat and that light bouncing off the contoured links is what helps golfers see those contours.

COLORS FOR GOLF

There are several lens tints that are commonly used for golf eyewear. The choice of tint is hugely important to golfers, is a personal preference depending on what they value most, and will vary among golfers.

PGA pro Ricky Barnes wearing Oakley’s Fast Jacket with G30 lenses

The most common, however, are:

• BROWN, COPPER, AMBER. This color family provides a heightened contrast against the green grass and the blue sky, allowing golfers to follow the ball and detect course contours. They provide enhanced depth perception with little color distortion.

• ROSE, RED. These colors can heighten contrast, but may distort colors. Useful for highlighting the red and yellow hues on the green, which can help wearers spot the contours.

• PURPLE, BLUE. Glare is reduced and color perception is improved. These colors can also help in contour detection.

• GREEN-GRAY. This is considered a neutral color family, which will help reduce bright light and offer a slight increase in contrast without affecting color perception much.

• YELLOW-GREEN. Such as the color trademarked as Neox by Transitions, this color provides a light tint that offers contrast while making even overcast conditions brighter.

SECOND-PAIR SUCCESS

At Vision Care Specialists in Denver, CO, they use a “Life Fit” approach, utilizing a lifestyle questionnaire as the basis for a discussion on every aspect of their patients’ visual needs. Because much of their patient base is comprised of professionals and executives, golfing is a popular activity. And their Colorado-based patients tend to be very active outdoors in addition to golfing.

Optician Adrian Miller, ABOC, finds that prescription golf eyewear and lenses designed for the links also serve a wider purpose.

“Because of the great ground-to-distance view that golf lenses provide, they’re great for people who are active outdoors in a lot of different ways,” he says.

Miller and his staff also encourage patients to take advantage of the discounts some insurance plans offer for second-pair purchases.

“We talk with [all] patients about how one pair of glasses doesn’t fit all their needs. And for 30 or 40 percent off, why not get something that’s going to help them see better on the golf course?” he says.

Shamir’s Benson-Gibson, who has worked on the floor in opticals for years and now counsels other ECPs on product and presentation strategies, understands that patients can get overwhelmed with choices for additional eyewear.

“We need to respectfully present all the solutions that are going to help our patients,” she says. “I’m a big proponent of educating patients and giving them the power to make their own decision.”