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On the face of it we have confusion. Vision experts like Drs. Don Teig, Daniel Laby and elite tennis coaches and trainers like Patrick Mouratoglou, Jofre Porta, and Paul Dorochenko seem to have many conflicting views regarding vision and eye dominance.
The science available on eye dominance is scarce, inconsistent, and inchoate, and the latest research is inconclusive. And we certainly don’t have clear answers or definite refutations the claims about eye dominance in tennis by Mouratoglou, Porta, and Dorochenko.
The Conflicts
Some older studies in baseball showed that cross-dominant athletes had better batting performances than same-side athletes at little league and major league levels. But recent studies disagree.
In a study of 410 major league baseball players, researchers found that ocular dominance patterns had no influence on batting average. In another study of 215 professional baseball players, researchers found that same-side or cross-dominant eye/hand combinations showed no correlation with hitting ability, pitching success, or fielding.
These studies certainly suggest that ocular dominance characteristics would have little to no impact on success in hitting the tennis ball. But it’s still possible—if unlikely–that there may be elements of eye dominance not yet discovered that affect tennis technique, or possibly motion in…