hole card basics

I have been a succesful advantage player for over 20 years but never had the aptitude or interest in trying hole carding. I know hole carding discussion is "best off-line" but I am not going to name a casino name or ask specifics.

Finally, thought I would give it a try. Hand dealt low table max game I am assuming has fairly lax surveillance and minimal pit supervision. They moved the blackjack table into the snack bar so the lighting seemed good. The felt looked like Mike Tyson had used it for sparring. Lots of bumps and ridges. One spot was very worn. Both dealers stumbled with the cards. On some occasions, the hole card would be lifted parallel to the table about 1/2 deck up. On some occasions, the front of the card would be tilted toward second or third base maybe 10-20 degrees off horizontal. I tried slumping down a little bit at the table.
But over a few hour period, I couldn't catch anything. No "paint". No nothing. Couldn't see a thing. not one singe card.
My eye sight is far from perfect.
Simple question: should I have been able to catch something under these conditions? I kind of think this hole carding will never work for me.

"My eye sight is far from perfect."

What is "far from perfect"? Do you wear glasses?

I wear a contact in right eye for seeing up close (reading) and have astigmatism in left eye. So I can't see anything beyond two feet in right eye and mediocre vision in left.

The basics first. The first thing you have to do is correct your vision for the task at hand. I went to an optometrist (Costco)for a regular eye exam for an eyeglass prescription and while I was there I had her check me for a prescription for corrected vision at 4 - 5 feet. She actually took a magazine and opened it to a picture and laid it face down on a chair 4 feet from my eyes. She then checked my eyes while going to the picture and raising the corner a little then running back and forth adjusting the prescription. When she was done I had perfect vision at 4 feet. In my case it's still good out to maybe 6 - 7 feet. I ordered a pair of glasses with pretty large lenses which, in theory like a bigger diameter telescope, would focus more light and help my vision in low light conditions as well. They worked perfectly and I also use them when on my computer and they're borderline effective for reading too so that's an added benefit. The first time I tried them in combat was in the original casino at the Silver Star in Mississippi where the lighting always troubled me. With the new short range prescription glasses everything was in sharp focus and I also had excellent vision in the low light conditions as well, which I hoped I would. I too have quite a bit of astigmatism. This is the first step you would have to take. Then, there's a lot more to the actual technique itself which helps your play, such as placing a glass in just the right position, not on top of a shoe, machine or dealer, but close, may sometimes help change a dealers motion on those particular games and make them tilt the card imperceptibly more. Then, some dealers are gettable at the beginning of their shift but not later on, and vice versa. You can also ask a dealer if she gets caroal tunnel syndrome from dealing, put the idea in her head, and she may start changing her motion too. But that's for when you get your vision straightened out.

"Simple question: should I have been able to catch something under these conditions? I kind of think this hole carding will never work for me."

The conditions are always a treat. It's how well you can respond to the fly. I remember being able to see a dealer draw cards before I could decide, and it was wonderful. You aren't being graded :)

I had not really thought of it before but my corrective vision is very bad for this. One corrective lense helps in the <2' zone and the other helps on distance >10'. I should probably go no contacts or maybe get some glasses targeted for the 5' distance.
Regarding the second part, I think I was probably being flashed an eyeful but just too blind to see it.

always partner with a short person with eagle eyes. I would guess because of your eyesight you may have been leaning in close to catch the cards. It sounds counter intuitive (no pun intended) but the further away from the cards you are the shallower the angle between your eyes and the bottom of the card and the easier it is to get the card value. That's why standing in the aisle away from the table you can usually see the card from a dealer who barely lifts it but when you sit down you can't get it anymore. Short people have a big advantage here (again, no pun intended). You can sometimes slouch back just a tiny bit from the table and cross your leg over your knee, increasing your distance back and lowering slightly the altitude of your eyes, and get a dealer you otherwise couldn't but you have to be very careful when doing this and of course, this depends on corrected vision. Another thing is your eye focus. It is very hard, if not impossible, to look away so as not to appear obvious, then quickly try to catch the card when the dealer quickly exposes it if it's on the tuck. Often you may have to follow the card the whole time with your eyes constantly adjusting throughout the movement so your eyes will already be focused at the time it is exposed.