How important is eye-hand coordination for lacrosse goalies?
In this episode of the LAX Goalie Rat Podcast, Coach Damon Wilson sits down with Arthur Liebowitz, founder of Handeye Coaches and a sports vision specialist who helps athletes improve reaction time, tracking ability, and visual processing.
Arthur explains why "eye-hand coordination" actually begins with the eyes, how goalies can train their visual system just like they train their body, and why vision may be one of the most overlooked skills in goalie development.
The conversation is packed with practical drills, inexpensive at-home exercises, and insights into the science behind reaction time that every goalie, coach, and parent can immediately apply.
In This Episode
- Why "eye-hand coordination" starts with the visual system
- The three stages of visual performance: perception, processing, and response
- How Arthur's journey as a hockey goalie led him into sports vision training
- Why reaction time can be trained—not just inherited
- Understanding central vision vs. peripheral vision
- Eye alignment, convergence, and divergence explained
- How poor eye tracking affects athletic performance
- Pencil Push-Up drills for improving eye coordination
- Accommodation training to improve focus from near to far
- Brock String drills for tracking and eye alignment
- Building reaction speed through progressive ball drills
- Why catching with two fingers improves focus and tracking
- Using smaller balls to increase visual precision
- Vision training tools like Swivel Vision Goggles and Synaptic Strobe Glasses
- Why visual training should become part of every goalie's practice routine
- The importance of repetition and building neural pathways through consistent practice
Key Takeaways
Vision Comes Before Movement
Before your body can react, your eyes must first identify, track, and process the incoming shot. Improving the visual system allows every physical movement to become faster and more efficient.
Train Your Eyes Like You Train Your Body
Most athletes spend countless hours improving strength and technique but rarely train the muscles and processing systems responsible for vision.
Better Tracking Builds Confidence
When goalies can clearly track the ball from release to save, they naturally become more confident and less likely to flinch under pressure.
Simple Drills Produce Big Results
Many of Arthur's favorite exercises require nothing more than a pencil, a tennis ball, a wall, or a piece of paper, making vision training accessible for athletes of every age.
Repetition Strengthens Neural Pathways
Every repetition helps strengthen the brain's ability to recognize, process, and react to visual information more efficiently, leading to faster reactions on the field.
Practical Drills Discussed
Pencil Push-Ups
- Focus on the tip of a pencil.
- Slowly move it toward your nose while maintaining a single, clear image.
- Repeat from straight ahead, above eye level, and below eye level to improve convergence and tracking.
Near-to-Far Focus Drill
- Create one letter chart on a wall and another held close to your face.
- Alternate your focus between the two charts.
- Improve your eyes' ability to rapidly adjust focus during game situations.
Wall Ball Progressions
- Begin with one ball.
- Progress to two balls.
- Add alternating hands.
- Increase difficulty by catching with only two fingers.
Small Ball Training
Use increasingly smaller objects to challenge your visual system, including:
- Tennis balls
- Ping pong balls
- Small rubber balls
- Corn kernels
- BB pellets
Smaller targets force athletes to sharpen focus and improve tracking accuracy.
Equipment Mentioned
Arthur discusses several vision-training tools, including:
- Swivel Vision Goggles
- Synaptic Strobe Glasses
- Brock String
- Robo-Pong ball machine
Each tool is designed to challenge different aspects of visual tracking, focus, and reaction speed.
Favorite Quotes
"If you're not seeing it, you're not stopping it."
"Vision is the gateway to every athletic movement."
"Train your reactions before the game demands them."
"The goal is to make everything on the field feel slower."
"Repetition builds skill by strengthening the neural pathways you rely on during competition."
About Arthur Liebowitz
Arthur Liebowitz is the founder of Handeye Coaches, where he specializes in sports vision and reaction training for athletes. A former hockey goalie, Arthur combines neuroscience, visual training, and athletic performance to help players improve reaction time, tracking ability, and overall game performance through practical drills and innovative coaching methods.
Connect with Arthur
Arthur shares daily drills, reaction exercises, and sports vision content through Handeye Coaches on social media and offers online training resources for athletes and coaches.
Who Should Listen
This episode is ideal for:
- Lacrosse goalies
- Hockey goalies
- Goalie coaches
- Parents of athletes
- Players looking to improve reaction time
- Athletes interested in sports vision training
- Coaches wanting to add vision training into practice
If you enjoyed this episode of the LAX Goalie Rat Podcast, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, leave a review, and share this episode with another goalie looking to improve their reaction time and visual performance.
