Did you know that where you are looking while on track has a direct impact on your performance and results?
When it comes to racing, one of the key factors that can make a significant difference in performance is where you're looking. Your vision plays a crucial role in how you anticipate and react to the track and the racing ahead of you.
Let’s explore the importance of improving where you are looking whilst on track and the eye-tracking technology and techniques that you can utilise here at Focus Driver Performance to make those improvements.
When you start out in motorsport, be that in karts or at track day events, it can be very easy to focus directly on what’s in front of you.
In karting, in particular, the action typically happens right in front of you, leading to a habit of lower their vision that can persist as they progress through to other forms of motorsport.
Similarly, track day drivers or those who begin racing later in life, have often picked up bad habits from years of driving on public roads and often find themselves fixated on the brake lights of the car directly ahead of them.
No matter where these habits have come from, essential to break them and raise your on-track vision for improved performance and awareness.
So why do we need to look further down the track? Well, our brains, as amazing as they are, require time to process information.
Looking further down the track extends the time available for processing. Not only will this allow your brain to function better, but your overall performance will also improve. This also provides more visual information to your brain, enabling you to make more accurate and consistent decisions on the track.
Driving with a lowered vision is akin to navigating a country lane at night with only your sidelights on. Your inputs become erratic and sudden, and your confidence is minimal.
However, when you lift your vision, it's like switching to full-beam headlights. Suddenly, even though you maintain your speed, you feel as if you're going much slower. Your inputs become smoother and more anticipated, leading to enhanced control and performance.
A big part of improving your on-track vision is trusting your peripheral vision.
Using your peripheral vision to guide you through corners is the key to being able to look further down the track, but it can be challenging to develop this trust.
This is where cognitive training plays a significant role. By training your mind to rely on peripheral vision, you can enhance your ability to process information and react effectively while maintaining optimal focus on the track.
To facilitate this process, we utilise advanced technology here at Focus Driver Performance in the form of eye-tracking glasses that we can use in combination with our simulators and cognitive training tools.
These glasses, which are military grade and are worth a whopping AUD$20,000, provide invaluable insights into where drivers are looking.
We use this eye-tracking technology to enable drivers to review and compare their sessions, allowing them to see precisely where their focus lies.
The data from the glasses provide a visual representation of a driver's eye movements which we can use to help them identify areas where their attention may be lacking or where their vision needs to be improved.
This combination of tools at Focus Driver Performance allows us to test and train drivers' vision while replicating in real-life situations something, an advantage that is near impossible to train while in the car in real life.
Improving where you're looking while on track is a fundamental aspect of enhancing your racing performance.
Why don’t you have a chat with us about our cognitive training and eye-tracking training programs to hone your skills and improve your performance the next time you are on track?