Double fault! Ocular hazards of a tennis sunglass

Blue-tinted lenses are currently being marketed as devices to enhance visua l performance in tennis and as sunglasses for children. These include the B olle Competivision sunglasses (Bolle, a division of Bushnell, Inc, Overland Park, Kan) and tile ProSoft contact lens (Wesley Jesson, Des Plaines, Ill) , both of which are intended for tennis, and the Bolle Kids Collection sung lasses. The Competivision lenses are the "official" lenses of the US Profes sional Tennis Association (teaching professionals), and they were given to linespersons at the 2000 French Open Championship (at Poland Garros). Tenni s players of all skill levels may be purchasing these tennis lenses with th e expectation of better performance-and of safety in the bright sunlight. K ids may ask for "cool-looking" blue children's glasses. However, I would ar gue that the spectral transmission characteristics of all of these lenses m ake them not only ineffective with respect to visual performance on most te nnis courts (and elsewhere) but also a potential hazard to the eyes in brig ht sunlight.