Peripheral Target Centralization

You want two things to happen when centralizing on a peripheral target:

1. Maintain target focus
2. Fast head movement

Because the faster you can turn your head and keep that target in focus, the faster you can accurately engage it.

Rapid centralization of a peripheral target requires your vestibular system.

To maintain that peripheral target focus as you move your head, your vestibular system senses the head acceleration and helps elicit the eyes to move in the exact opposite movement of the head, which keeps the target in focus as you centralize it.

If your vestibular system isn’t functioning at a high level, your eyes will slip off the target and must perform a corrective jump to regain target focus as your head quickly turns.

Simply put, you will lose target focus as you centralize on a peripheral target without a highly functioning vestibular system.

Repeated subconcussive exposures have been shown to impair the vestibular system. [1]

Training rapid centralization of peripheral targets is vital to maintain a high level of readiness and lethality.

Every millisecond, and millimeter, matters.

Reference:

1. Landers, M. R., Donatelli, R., Nash, J., & Bascharon, R. (2017). Evidence of dynamic visual acuity impairment in asymptomatic mixed martial arts fighters. Concussion, 2(3), CNC41.