I see opportunity.

Wind is the great equalizer: it erases small technical differences and rewards the archer who can commit—to the sight picture, to the shot timing, and to the plan. At U.S. events I’ve built an edge by embracing that mindset. Internationally the field is deeper, but the principle is identical: the archer who stays decisive in gusty, shifting wind will always finish near the top.

Below is the way I approach windy conditions—what I focus on, how I aim, and how I train for all the variables that flags alone never show.

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But like visualization, it’s often misunderstood.

It doesn’t have to be sitting still, eyes closed, trying to clear your mind while everything goes quiet.

That version exists.

But it’s only one version.

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Most archers obsess over limbs, risers, stabilizers, arrows, and sight setups while treating the string as little more than a consumable accessory. In reality, the string is one of the most important energy transfer systems in the entire bow.

Here are some final thoughts when trying to understand recurve strings and how to optimize them.

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Steve Anderson once explained it in just two words:

“Nobody cares.”

At first, that idea can feel strange. Most archers step onto the line feeling like every arrow is being watched, judged, and remembered.

But Steve’s realization was the opposite.

The Pressure We Create

“I think one of the most important things I learned about archery that helped me was coming to the realization that nobody cares.

We put a lot of mental pressure on ourselves because of our egos and because we think our performance is being judged by others.”

Many athletes assume their performance matters far more to the people around them than it actually does.

They worry about what other competitors think.
They worry about disappointing people.
They worry about how a bad round might change someone’s perception of them.

All of that mental noise creates pressure that doesn’t actually need to exist.

Freedom Through Perspective

“When I realized that nobody cares, I was able to perform freely.”

Instead of shooting to protect his reputation or avoid embarrassment, Steve realized something important:

Most people are focused on their own shooting.

They’re thinking about their own arrows, their own scores, and their own performance.

That realization removes a huge layer of pressure.

What Really Matters

“It matters to very few people, and a bad performance will not change their perspective of me.”

For the people who truly support you—family, close friends, and coaches—one bad tournament doesn’t suddenly change their view of you.

They care about the person, not just the result.

And for everyone else on the field?

They’re usually too busy worrying about their own arrows.

Why This Mindset Helps

Letting go of the belief that everyone is judging your performance allows something important to happen.

You start shooting with freedom.

Instead of protecting yourself from failure, you can focus entirely on executing the shot.

The ego pressure disappears.

And when that pressure disappears, the shot process becomes much easier to trust.

A Simple Reminder

Most of the pressure athletes feel is created internally.

The moment you realize that the audience in your head isn’t real pressure, competition becomes much simpler.

Because the truth is exactly what Steve said:

Nobody cares.

And once you accept that, you’re free to focus on the only thing that actually matters.

The next arrow.

Archery is not fundamentally an aiming sport. It is a repetition and execution sport.

The goal is not to hold perfectly still, but to execute a repeatable shot while allowing the sight to move naturally within an acceptable area.

Because of this, the purpose of a sight pin is not to “aim harder,” but to create the best visual environment possible for your mind to execute the shot subconsciously and consistently.

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Like most things in high-level tuning, the reality is much more complicated.

String weight directly affects how energy transfers through the bow system. Small changes in total string mass can influence:

• Arrow speed

• Shot feel

• Vibration behavior

• String separation timing

• Forgiveness

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Many of the best books for archers are not strictly about archery. Precision sports rely heavily on mental control, confidence, and consistency under pressure. Learning how elite competitors manage these aspects can often provide as much value as technical training.

Below are some books that have had a major influence on how many athletes approach performance.

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Proprioception is the body’s ability to sense its own position and movement without relying on visual feedback. In archery, this means being able to execute a clean, consistent shot based on body awareness and feeling, rather than constantly relying on the sight picture.

Many elite archers develop a strong sense of proprioception over time. Their bodies learn what a correct shot feels like, and they are able to reproduce it even when visual information becomes less reliable.

This drill helps train that awareness.

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Travel is a major part of competing at the international level. It can be exciting, but it also introduces many opportunities for things to go wrong. Over the years I have learned that preparation and flexibility are just as important as performance on the field.

One of the most memorable lessons came before my first World Cup.

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Unlike many drills that focus only on technique, the Gold Game introduces consequence and reward, which helps simulate the mental pressure of competition.

The goal is simple: build the ability to execute strong shots when the score matters.

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Spin Wings are one of the most common fletchings used in recurve archery because they are light, easy to replace, and provide excellent stabilization.

Fletching them properly is important if you want them to perform consistently.

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The purpose of SPT is to develop the strength and endurance required to maintain proper form throughout long practice sessions and tournaments.

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In 2018, I competed at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires. At the time, I kept a diary during the event. Looking back now, years later, and after competing at multiple World Cups and international events, there are a lot of lessons hidden inside those entries.

International competitions are not just about shooting. They involve travel, logistics, adapting to new environments, managing nerves, and learning how to perform when everything around you is unfamiliar.

Here are a few moments from that trip and what they taught me.

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The longer you compete, the more you realize that tournament performance often starts before you even leave home.

Forgetting small items creates unnecessary stress. Being underprepared for weather changes can drain energy before scoring even begins. Even something as simple as wet socks or not having enough layers can slowly affect focus and comfort over the course of a long event.

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One of the most valuable drills for developing execution-focused shooting is called the Execution Drill.

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Nock fitment is one of the most misunderstood areas in recurve tuning.

Many archers treat it as a minor detail when in reality it directly affects release consistency, separation timing, and tuning behavior.

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Form. Alignment. Execution.

At a certain level, that’s not what actually changes.

What changes is your internal state.

And one of the biggest drivers of that is something most people don’t pay enough attention to:

How you talk to yourself.

The Insight

“I think the habit that helped me the most is talking to myself in a positive way and staying in the present moment.”
— Elia Canales

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What This Actually Means

At the highest level, self-talk is functional and productive.

It directly affects:

• how your nervous system responds

• how much tension you carry

• how clean your execution is

When your internal language becomes:

• urgent

• negative

• outcome-focused

Your system tightens.

And when your system tightens, everything downstream changes:

• timing changes

• expansion lengthens

• execution becomes forced

Nothing about your technique consciously changed.

But the shot did.

Presence Is Not Passive

“Stay present” is one of the most common pieces of advice in sport.

It’s also one of the most misunderstood.

Presence isn’t just:

• clearing your mind

• or trying to relax

It’s about keeping your attention anchored to the present moment and process while the pressure is rising.

Because that’s when it matters.

This can be trained through vivid visualization practices and meditation as well as shooting.

Why This Matters

At a high level, you’re not trying to force better shots.

You’re trying to maintain a state where good shots can happen repeatedly.

That state can be fragile.

And your internal language either:

• supports it

• or disrupts it

Final Thought

Self-talk isn’t separate from performance.

It is a key element of performance.

Because the way you speak to yourself determines:

• how your body responds

• how your timing unfolds

• how your shot finishes

And at the highest level, that’s the difference.

Every practice session should have a clear purpose. When you arrive at the range, you should already have an idea of what you are trying to improve that day and how that fits into your long-term goals.

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That question can mean many things. Time. Effort. Equipment. Coaching. Travel. Practice volume. All of it ultimately comes down to the same thing: how much are you willing to spend to get better.

Throughout my career I’ve started to look at improvement through a different lens. Instead of asking whether something is expensive or cheap, I ask a different question:

How many points will this realistically gain me?

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In archery, value can be measured in points

But not all points are equal.

Indoors, the jump from 280 to 281 does not carry the same weight as the jump from 299 to 300. One is incremental. The other is perfection. As scores climb, each additional point becomes exponentially harder to obtain. The closer you move toward the ceiling, the more precision is required and the fewer errors remain to fix.

Outdoors the same principle applies. Improving from a 48 average to a 49 average is very different than moving from 53 to 54. At that level you are essentially averaging golds. That final point requires eliminating nearly every small leak in execution, decision making, and equipment.

Points do not scale evenly as you approach higher performance.

This is why I am always searching for edges at my level. One or two points gained consistently can separate qualification placements, team selections, or podium finishes. When margins are small, marginal gains become everything.

Coaching Through the Lens of Cost per Point

Many archers see coaching prices and immediately assume they are too high. But coaching, like equipment, has value. And that value can be evaluated in terms of points gained.

Not all coaches serve the same purpose.

Some coaches are best on a recurring basis. They monitor technique, reinforce consistency, and guide long-term development. This type of structure is especially important early in an archer’s progression.

There is another type of coach as well.

This coach may be more expensive per session and may not meet as frequently. What they offer is higher-level refinement. They may see smaller inefficiencies, identify subtle limitations, or provide insights that rapidly accelerate improvement. Their hourly rate may be higher, but the information density can also be higher.

I like to think about coaching in terms of cost per point gained.

Sometimes this cannot be evaluated immediately. It may take a few sessions to determine the return. But it is still a valuable framework.

If you spend one hundred dollars for an hour, how many points does that hour realistically help you gain if you apply the knowledge?

If you are shooting 580 out of 720, five points may not justify a premium session. At that stage there are still many fundamentals to develop, and a consistent coach working with you regularly may provide similar improvement over time.

But if you are shooting 640–660, those same five points are dramatically more valuable. They may separate placements, teams, or podium finishes. At that level, marginal gains are harder to find and therefore worth more.

The Same Logic Applies to Equipment

This framework extends beyond coaching.

Any time you consider an equipment purchase, ask the same question.

If you are about to spend $2000 on a new bow, how many points will it realistically gain you?

Would three sessions with an experienced coach produce more improvement than new equipment? Could those same points be gained through technical refinement rather than hardware changes?

Every decision in archery should be evaluated against performance return.

The goal is not to minimize spending.

The goal is to maximize improvement.

When you begin thinking in terms of cost per point, purchases become strategic rather than emotional.

At higher levels, improvement becomes incremental. And that is exactly why you must be intentional about where you invest your money, effort, and time.