What's the most important Sniper skill?

-It's not what you think

Our class started with 22 Marines. Ten of us made it to graduation. I’m standing at the far right.

I tell the story of how I was mistakenly assigned to a Sniper platoon in my book, Tough Rugged Bastards, so I won’t repeat it here. But suffice it to say that I have been involved with long-range shooting for most of my adult life.

I have served as a sniper in training and combat and have been a sniper instructor, so it is no wonder that I am often asked what skill is the most important.

It is easy to assume that shooting is the most critical aspect of sniper training, and it is important. But, the shot is just the culmination of all the training, planning, movement, and preparation that puts the sniper in the position to take the shot when it presents itself.

Yes, shooting is important at Sniper School, but that is just one aspect of the course. Far more time is spent on the skills needed to get into, and operate in the Final Firing Position (FFP).

So, I would say that the most crucial skill of the sniper is the willingness to do the work necessary to be well-positioned to seize the opportunity.

This is the same in life.

We even use some of the same terminology.

“I never had a shot at…”

“They were lucky. They got the shot that I didn’t.”

It’s more likely that “they” got the shot because they did the work to put themselves in the right place at the right time with the right preparation to recognize when it was their shot.

It doesn’t matter how good you can shoot if you can’t get into position.

Basketball coach Bobby Knight understood this when he said:

“The will to win is not nearly as important as the will to prepare to win. Everyone wants to win, but not everyone wants to prepare to win. Preparing to win is where the determination that you will win, is made. Once the game or test or project is underway, it is too late to prepare to win. The actual game, test or project is just the end of a long process of getting ready, in which the outcome was really determined. So if you want to win, you must want to prepare to win. Once you prepare to win, winning is almost anti-climatic."

So, what should you be doing to be ready for your shot?

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On my other, saltier substack, Ruck The F*ck Up, I’m getting back into the best shape of my life. If you are interested, come on over.

Thanks for reading. Until next week, Keep Walking Point