Peripheral vision is a huge benefit when it comes to playing jigsaw puzzles fast. It’s a speed puzzling tool that is rarely talked about but used at every jigsaw puzzle competition. If you want to be fast, you need to use it!
Look Further than a Few Pieces on the Table
Developing peripheral vision is a valuable skill for speed puzzlers, allowing them to observe a broader area of the puzzle simultaneously. Enhancing this skill requires focused training and practice.
Let me share my story of peripheral vision because I think it helps anyone who is thinking about speed puzzling or wants to be a speed puzzle participant. Honestly, you need to think about the dynamics of this new hobby.
When I started playing heavily I realized that I was having trouble finding pieces of the jigsaw puzzle under pressure (even though I had no problem at home).
When I shared this with a puzzle enthusiast, she told me that I needed to think about how I look at the pieces on the table. That maybe I did see the pieces, but I didn’t recognize it! And she talked me down from the ledge when I shared how the intense training I was doing at home wasn’t helping. In fact, it didn’t seem to make any difference at all. Her advice on how to see the jigsaw puzzle pieces made a huge impact. Talk about a deep moment!
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Peripheral Vision Strategies for Speed Puzzling
So what I did was develop strategies to help my speed puzzling using vision. Just like a lens in a camera, when you have a look at the jigsaw puzzle in a new way – expanding it to include more pieces on the table – your perspective changes. So does the time on your clock. I started to see some of my best times EVER!
Here are some effective strategies to develop peripheral vision for speed puzzling:
1. Expand Your Gaze and Practice Widening Focus.
Train yourself to widen your gaze beyond the immediate section you are working on. Rather than fixating solely on a small area, consciously broaden your vision to encompass a larger portion of the puzzle as you intend to assemble sections.
2. Implement Wide-Angle Vision Techniques to Use Soft Focus.
Adopt a soft focus technique where you relax your gaze and let your eyes take in a wider field of view. This helps prevent tunnel vision and enables you to process information from your peripheral vision more effectively.
3. Utilize Peripheral Vision Exercises to Engage Further.
Incorporate specific exercises designed to enhance peripheral vision. For instance, focus on a central point and practice noticing objects or details in your peripheral vision without directly looking at them. Gradually increase the complexity of the exercises as your skills improve.
4. Play Peripheral Vision Games Help Interactive Learning.
Engage in games or activities that require you to use your peripheral vision actively. Yes, beyond speed puzzling, even if only temporary. For example, play card games where you need to keep track of multiple cards simultaneously or try out visual tracking exercises that involve following moving objects at the edges of your vision.
5. Rotate Puzzles Regularly for Dynamic Puzzle Solving.
Rotate the puzzle regularly during speed puzzling sessions. This forces you to shift your focus and adapt to different sections of the puzzle, improving your ability to observe details with your peripheral vision.
6. Practice Juggling or Ball Games for Stronger Hand-Eye Coordination Activities.
Engage in activities like juggling or ball games that require hand-eye coordination and awareness of your surroundings. These activities help enhance your peripheral vision by training your brain to process information from your entire visual field. My go to? In the summer, softball. And in the winter I play bowling on the Wii (please don’t share that with everyone. LOL)
7. Vary Puzzle Themes Means Diverse Puzzling Experience.
Work on puzzles with diverse themes and patterns. Exposing yourself to different visual elements helps your peripheral vision adapt to a range of patterns and shapes, making you more versatile in speed puzzling.
8. Increase Puzzle Difficulty Gradually for Progressive Challenges.
Gradually increase the difficulty of the puzzles you tackle. Challenging yourself with more complex puzzles forces you to rely on ways to identify patterns and connections across a larger area.
9. Maintain Good Posture for Ergonomic Considerations.
Ensure you maintain good posture and an optimal distance from the puzzle. Sit at a comfortable height with the puzzle at eye level. This ensures that your peripheral vision is actively engaged without causing strain.
10. Join Speed Puzzling Communities to Learn from Others.
Connect with the speed puzzling community to exchange tips and strategies for developing peripheral vision. Learning from the experiences of fellow puzzlers can provide valuable insights and motivate you to refine your skills.
Practice Your Peripheral Vision Every Day
Consistent and intentional practice is key to developing peripheral vision for speed puzzling. I’ve seen my times do better using these ideas and I know you will too.
By incorporating these strategies into your training routine, you’ll gradually enhance your ability to observe a broader area of the puzzle, giving you a competitive edge in speed puzzling competitions.
Happy puzzling!
