Tennis Ball and Eye Patch Drills for Hand-Eye Coordination

I want you... This actually involves us standing up- ... and using a tennis ball. So we're gonna train your visual cortex, ... and using a tennis ball. So we're gonna train your visual cortex, which sits at the back here in the occipital lobe.

We're gonna train your, um, processing speed, your reaction time, your hand-eye coordination. One of the best exercises that you can do, physical exercises, is actually hand-eye coordination drills. Tennis, racket sports.

But I'm gonna show you what five minutes a day can do for your cognitive reserve and your brain performance, just using a tennis ball and an eye patch.

Okay. So first things first, I'm gonna give you this tennis ball.

Yeah. And for the whole time, I want you to throw the ball with an overhand grip.

Oh, like this? Yep. Okay. So I want you to just throw it with the right arm and catch with the right arm.

Over... I mean, what's this one saying? That underarm.

I'm just checking the wall. Okay. Okay, so like- So you might wanna move back where the chair is. Okay, no, you're good.

Cut that. Cut that out.

Good. So now throw with the right and catch with the left and alternate.

Yep. Oh, okay.

You've got it. So what we're doing, we're engaging almost all the executive functions now. You've got hand- Oh, wow ... You should be able to do this for a minute, okay?

Okay. Now, we're gonna make it even harder. It's like placing weights on you.

Go on, you do it as well. Well, I, I'm not gonna do the one with the eye patch. I'll do the next one. Okay.

So basically what you wanna do... And if you do it with a black ball, it's actually, oh, even better.

So now we're gonna make it a bit hard and a bit neurally demanding.

We're gonna put an eye patch on you, which is really gonna block out like 50% of the vision.

Okay. Which eye? Any eye. Let's do the left one.

Uh, let's see how many you can do. You...

I think you, we counted around eight before.

Like a pirate. Can I just get you to look here?

What? Wait, this is not flattering. Okay, cool.

Let's go. Oh, that's so different. Yeah.

Wow. This feels significantly harder. I know. Let's go.

This feels... No, this feels like really hard.

Let me just double-check. Fucking hell. Wow.

That's, that's really... That's so hard.

This is... There you go. You've got it. Ha, joking.

No. Okay, let's alternate now. It's easier.

Left hand, right hand. Left hand, right hand. Like this?

Yeah. You're training your visual system to work under load and under stress. So when you do this- Ah, fuck.

I'm interrupting you. No, it's okay. You got it. You got it. You got it.

Good, good, good. And then to even make it even harder- Mm-hmm ... okay, stand on your right foot.

Yeah. And put your other foot... There you go.

What, on one leg? Yep. Standing on one leg is now engaging the cerebellum.

Okay. We're getting spatial awareness. Let's go. Posture.

Left, right, left, right? Yep. Oh my gosh.

You got it. I wanna see you do it. With the eye patch on?

Yeah. Wow.

I mean, I can bare- Great, my eyelashes have gone now.

It's okay. We can AI that out. This actually looks great.

Okay, we ready? Well, I blame my nails. I blame my nails. Let's do it.

Okay. It's hard. It's so hard. And so what is this doing? It's- This is engaging executive functions pro-