Being an elite athlete requires mastery of mind, body and, occasionally, some unorthodox skills. As part of the December 2024 Total Athlete issue, SI explores how today’s complete competitors are expanding what’s possible with new fitness frontiers, cutting edge technology, mental training and more—from the behemoths of the NFL’s offensive line, to a versatile WNBA veteran, to a special group of athletes who forgo the fundamentals and go against the grain.
Before he steps up to the plate, Cubs outfielder Ian Happ peers at a bull’s-eye sticker affixed to the inside of his batting helmet, just above the earpiece—a quick depth perception exercise that reminds his brain to utilize both eyes while at bat. This small habit is just one element of Happ’s vision-training routine, which he started after posting career lows in batting average (.226), on-base percentage (.323) and OPS (.757) during the 2021 season. A teammate referred him to Ryan Harrison, owner of SlowtheGameDown, a vision performance program based in Irvine, Calif.
