Science

Dysmetria vs Poor Coordination: 3 Signs It's Serious (And 3 Signs It's Not)

By BounceIQ Team2 min readDec 18, 2025

Is something wrong with me?

That's the question when you start missing.
Reaching past the cup. Dropping things. Fumbling keys.

You search your symptoms and find a word: dysmetria.
It sounds serious. It can be.

But most people with coordination problems don't have dysmetria.
Here's how to tell the difference.

3 Signs It Might Be Serious

These patterns suggest something neurological. See a doctor.

1. It came on suddenly
You were fine last week. Now you're not.
Don't wait.

2. It's worse on one side
Your left hand misses but your right doesn't.
One-sided problems point to brain damage.

3. It's getting progressively worse
Last month you missed sometimes. This month you miss often.
Steady decline needs investigation.

What Is Dysmetria?

Dysmetria is a neurological symptom where you can't accurately judge distance when reaching.
You overshoot or undershoot your target. The finger-to-nose test is how doctors check for it.

It usually indicates cerebellar damage, the part of your brain that calibrates movement.
If you have the warning signs above, get checked.

3 Signs It's Not Dysmetria

These patterns suggest rust, not damage.

1. It's been gradual over years
You're less coordinated at 50 than at 25.
That's not disease. It's disuse.

2. It's the same on both sides
Both hands are equally clumsy.
General decline, not localized damage.

3. It improves when you focus
You miss when distracted but hit your target when you concentrate.
The system works. It's just not automatic.

What To Do

If you have the serious signs, see a doctor first.

If not, the fix is simple: practice.

Train your brain with hand drills. Level up with a tennis ball.
A few minutes a day is all it takes.
Your brain learns from every rep.
The accuracy you lost comes back with practice.


Next read: Want to understand the skill you're training? Hand-Eye Coordination: The Skill Modern Life Stopped Training

BounceIQ provides progressive coordination drills that train your brain's targeting system, with tracking to measure your improvement over time.

🧠

Ready to train your brain?

Join the waitlist and be first to try BounceIQ when we launch.