Eagle-Eyed Sharp Shooters: The Importance of Visual Skills and Acuity in Precision and Military Marksmanship

Abstract

Visual acuity, or the accuracy and clarity of one’s vision, is an important trait for many people, particularly marksmen. Marksmen in the military benefit from enhanced vision and visual skills as it enables soldiers to more accurately identify and successfully eliminate threats. Competitive shooting athletes across disciplines, such as precision pistol shooters and shotgun shooters, also find great advantages as increased visual acuity and visual skills are associated with higher, more competitive scores. After reviewing multiple published studies, it was found that visual skills can be improved through vision training programs. Participating in such programs allows for an increase in performance for marksmen across disciplines: military or competitive.