Dennis Taylor Snooker Glasses

Dennis Taylor Snooker Glasses - Varifocals

Dennis Taylor Snooker Glasses

Poor eye sight is the last thing you need when trying to become a master of the green baize.

Snooker is a hard enough game when you have great vision but when your focus gets blurred or distorted then things can start to go very wrong very quickly. Snooker players that suffer poor vision can get very confused as to the best solution as nowadays there are so many options which inevitably the floodgate to even more questions.

We all remember that late night in 1985 watching Dennis Taylor win the World Snooker Championship on the black in the last frame against Steve Davis. His snooker glasses at the time brought it home to many a club player and professional alike that there may be a solution to poor snooker eyesight after all, if they were good enough for the world snooker champion they must be good enough for moi!

Well that was over 30 years ago and there’s certainly more choice nowadays but are the solutions any better?

Here are some of the typical questions players are faced with when trying to make a decision:

  • I am short sighted so can see very nicely around the pack for break building but my safety is breaking down as I cannot see the edge of the ball from distance.
  • If I buy those Dennis Taylor Snooker Glasses will I get some stick from the guys down the club?
  • Does laser surgery last?
  • Why can’t I just wear my normal glasses, they seem fine for reading?
  • I’ve got vari-focals for everyday use, they would be great for short and long pots so why not use them?
  • I haven’t heard about Spoony’s so what are they?
  • I used contact lenses years ago and they weren’t very good so are they any better now?

Do I Wear Dennis Taylor Snooker Glasses?

Well the short answer is no. When I first picked up a cue over 30 years ago I wore normal glasses and on the long shots I had to always make sure they were tight as I was at times looking through the top rim which to be honest was a pain. I used to constantly adjust the glasses but over time it became natural although a little annoying at times.

At the time I had heard about monthly contact lenses and tried them but gave up as the cleaning routine to reduce eye irritation was way to hit and miss and quite often the lenses broke and they certainly weren’t cheap!

So, glasses stayed the chosen method for many years.

In this time I took up golf and the glasses proved to be a pain whenever it rained so I eventually searched for a solution and stumbled across ‘Daily Disposable’ contact lenses, something that wasn’t around in my earlier outings to the snooker club. Wow, did these lenses make a difference; why would they not work for snooker?

The daily disposable lenses were soft, moist when in the eye, reasonably easy to put in (once you’d learned the trick!) and I only used them for sports so they were reasonably inexpensive as I wore glasses the rest of the week.

Did they work?

Well it was like going to colour from black and white for me. No more rims around the glasses and the world very quickly seemed like 3D without any noticeable distortion.

I have considered Laser surgery and are still tempted by those Dennis Taylor Snooker Glasses, but any misses on the snooker table are down to me as I can certainly see the edge of the ball now.

What should you do?

Well that’s personal as there are many choices and I’ve certainly met enough people who have been successful at other methods so here are a few things for you to consider.

I hope you enjoy the read.

Good Luck!


Standard Glasses

Dennis Taylor Snooker Glasses - Normal Glasses 1

Standard Glasses

Pro’s

Relatively Inexpensive
Easy to use

Cons

Obstructive top rim on long shots
Can see over top of glasses
Peripheral vision distortion

Personal Opinion:

If you’re not too serious then glasses will do you fine but if you are serious about improving your game then I would look for a solution to all of the cons. This doesn’t mean you won’t find a good snooker player who wears glasses but it could certainly be easier with better overall vision.


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Varifocals

Dennis Taylor Snooker Glasses - Varifocals

Varifocals

Pro’s

Easy to use

Cons

Too much distortion from the various fields
Peripheral vision really distorted
Obstructive top rim on long shots
Can see over top of glasses
Can be expensive

Personal Opinion:

I wore a new set of varifocals in a match once and potted everything straight in front of me but couldn’t cut a ball in the middle pocket all night. Walking past the kitchen tiles when I returned home I noticed every tile grout line in my peripheral vision went off at a crazy angle, that was the first and last time the varifocals came out to a snooker evening! 


Dennis Taylor Snooker Glasses

Dennis Taylor Snooker Glasses 1

Dennis Taylor Snooker Glasses

Pro’s

Easy to use
Full lens tilt to suit individuals
No top metal rim, just lens
Extra height lenses
Ample viewing window
Can be inexpensive nowadays

Cons

A little geeky

Personal Opinion:

Ok, they are a little larger than normal glasses so if you are worried about street cred then it may not be for you. I have seen many players using them at various tournaments and they all swear by them. I have certainly considered them over the years and now they are reasonably priced I think they are certainly worth a go. Dennis Taylor Snooker Glasses


The Spoony

Dennis Taylor Snooker Glasses - Spoony

The Spoony

Pro’s

Easy to use
Enables you to see through centre of lens on long shots
Can be relatively cheap

Cons

A little geeky
Can be awkward to use
Doesn’t cure peripheral vision issues

Personal Opinion:

Initially I liked the idea of the ‘Spoony’ as it raises your glasses so you can see through the centre of the lens on long shots but I still felt a little awkward when using it and gave up in the end; you may feel different though!


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Disposable Contact Lenses

Dennis Taylor Snooker Glasses Contact Lenses

Disposable Contact Lenses

Pro’s

Easy to use after a while
Great vision
Toric lenses allow for stigmatisms
Usually comfortable
Spares fit in your snooker case
Relatively inexpensive to buy

Cons

Some people struggle to fit them
No peripheral vision issues
Ongoing costs

Personal Opinion:

I love my contact lenses and experience total vision without glasses frames in the way. Many people cannot handle putting the lenses in but I have gotten used to this aspect. Personally I think this is a solution worth some consideration but not for everyone.  


Laser Eye Surgery

 

Laser Eye Surgery

Pro’s

Usually great vision after surgery
No more glasses

Cons

Initially expensive
Risks of eye damage
Repeat laser surgeries later

Personal Opinion:

I have thought about laser treatment a few times as it seems very successful with people I have met who have undergone surgery. It’s not cheap but it is cheaper than it was. Once complete, your eye sight over time can deteriorate again and some will have further laser treatment at some point in the future. Most people that I have spoken to have sworn by it so maybe one day I’ll give it a try!


Dennis Taylor Snooker Glasses?

So, I wonder if the article has helped you or made things even worse, I’ll leave that for you to decide but at least it gives you a little more insight (pardon the pun) into what is out there to help you see the edges of those object balls.

The laser surgery does look very interesting but I think I’d give the Dennis Taylor Snooker Glasses a quick go before venturing off to surgery; but, that’s just me and I’m not a good enough snooker player to worry that much as I certainly don;t make a living from the game, far from it!! 

We hope you enjoyed the article, please feel free to give this article a little Facebook like if you have time.



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