Switching to a new model of shaft after several decades on the exact same reference is a daunting prospect. The history and reputation surrounding a specific arrow reinforce its perceived value and reliability. Since it absorbs the most energy once the string is released, it is also the component most likely to break if poorly manufactured or if a structural weakness exists, running a direct risk of injury. New arrivals capable of disrupting the established order are rare. It was therefore with high expectations and considerable interest that I opened this pack of Podium X A/C (Aluminium/Carbon) shafts, marking my first equipment test in a long time.

![Podium X A/C shaft series](/IMG_1926.jpg)

## Preparation and Workshop Assembly

The manufacturer recommended a 350 spine to match the Easton X10 380 spine arrows I currently shoot. To ensure a safety margin and avoid ending up with excessively stiff shafts, I initially decided to cut the tubes one inch longer than my usual draw length.

As my objective was solely to test the behaviour of the shaft without altering other variables, I retained my usual components. With the manufacturer having confirmed accessory compatibility, I installed my existing X10 tungsten points and Beiter In/Out nocks.

## Selection Tests: Bare Shafts at 70 Metres

My systematic method for evaluating the quality of a batch and overall grouping consists of shooting full ends of unfletched shafts at 70 metres. It is a radical sorting method, but one that has always yielded reliable results.

**Test 1:** The first end immediately indicated that the shafts were too weak. The extra inch left during cutting was superfluous.

**Test 2:** Returning to the workshop, I removed this excess inch in a single cut to match the Podium X shafts exactly to the length of my X10s. Back on the shooting line at 70 metres, the result was significantly better. I obtained a main group of 8 arrows between the 10 and the 7 at the top right. Three or four arrows drifted slightly further from the central group, a standard behaviour frequently observed even with brand-new batches of X10s.

## Fletched Tests in Optimal Conditions

The fletched arrow test had to be postponed by a few days due to the D1 finals in Boé—an event far too important to risk switching arrows without prior validation.

Upon my return, I finalised the assembly of the complete set. To eliminate external disruptions (rain, wind, changing light) and ensure perfect flight conditions, I conducted the initial tests indoors at the World Archery Excellence Centre.

After starting practice with my usual X10s without altering any bow adjustments, I shot the first Podium X: it landed on the 5-6 line, bottom right. I adjusted the pressure button by a few clicks as well as the sight. The five subsequent arrows grouped in the 10. From this very first end, the arrow responded exceptionally well to my execution, and the group was visually superior to my current standards.

To validate this feeling, I decided to shoot two scored rounds on the same day:
- **Morning:** A promising 340, despite one end dropping to a 52 where execution failed.
- **Afternoon:** Following a period of rest to approach the line fresh, I confirmed the form with a 343 series.

## Validation Under Pressure: The Lausanne Tournament

To push the evaluation under higher stress levels, I decided to use this batch of shafts the following Sunday at the Lausanne tournament, which included match-play phases.

From assembly and warm-up, the sight picture looked good. The qualification round started with a bit of tension, as usual, but the ends remained consistent (54, 53). On the fifth end, my sight aperture broke. I finished the end as best as I could with the broken equipment, which caused a few low impacts, followed by a couple of arrows outside the zone on the next end while replacing the sight block.

The second distance proved excellent with groupings unseen so far this season, notably a 58 including 4 Xs grouping within the diameter of a £2 coin. The arrows remained consistent and accountable to my execution errors throughout the qualification.

During the three rounds of matches in the afternoon, the arrows held the zone perfectly, with the exception of a single poorly executed shot. Despite the tension, I concluded the gold medal match with a 10 on the tie-break arrow to take the win.

![Lausanne Qualification Round. CapTarget Statistics](/IMG_1930.jpg)

## Tuning Optimisation and Current Performance

Following this tournament and after a few more training sessions, I noticed that the overall setup could be further optimised. I recently changed the string to modify the nocking point height and fine-tune the clearance, while keeping the string tuned for the X10s as a backup.

Since this adjustment, my bare shafts group consistently in the gold with the fletched arrows. The group is tight, and the last two scored rounds this week, recorded at 675 and 679, confirm both the bow setup and the quality of the shaft.


![CapTarget Statistics](/IMG_1931.jpg)
![CapTarget Statistics](/IMG_1932.jpg)


## Provisional Conclusion

In my view, the Podium X A/C shafts meet the rigorous demands of elite performance perfectly. It remains to be seen how durable the tubes are over time, after several hundred shots, to verify if the precision and grouping remain constant. However, in terms of value for money, even if it proves necessary to replace competition shafts regularly, the operation remains significantly more economical than using a selection of X10 shafts. Two further dozens are on the way. Next competitive test this 15 July.

**Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding this test.**

![Test photo Portrait](/WhatsApp_Image_2026-07-07_at_18.06.04.jpeg)

Field Test: The Zone Archery Podium X A/C Shaft

When landing in Istanbul, the app I've used for my travels for several years indicated that I had just landed in this city for the 55th time. And I realised at that moment that, despite Istanbul's millennial history, I only concretely knew its three airports.

I therefore set myself a goal: to associate this competition with a cultural discovery, so as not to miss—once again—the opportunity to transform each stage into progress.

## The Competition

But first, the competition. I registered and came with a clear plan and strategy: to respect the technical work in progress, put it to the test under pressure, and accept detaching myself from the result and any potential performance to produce. The objective of the qualifications was therefore to respect as much as possible the placement and maintenance of the action under the clicker. Even if the result might suggest otherwise, I succeeded in this exercise 69 times out of 72. The wind added a frustrating constraint: tailwind, but oscillating from right to left. This made the reading unstable, and it took a toll on the overall score: many arrows close, few 10s. In this context, 26th place is not illogical—and above all, it marks a return to international competition, encouraging for the future.

![Competition photo](/WhatsApp_Image_2026-06-04_at_17.02.54_1_.jpeg)

In the eliminations, the same wind awaited us, slightly stronger, and coming more often from the right. Easier to read, but the gusts also made mistakes more accessible. It took me a little time to get into the first match: my heart rate spiked on the first duel, I lost sight of the technical objective on a few arrows, but I won this 1/24th against Andrei Belici (MDA): 7-1. The schedule then offered me three additional warm-up ends before the 1/16th. I took the opportunity to refocus: I brought my attention back to the action and the key point I was working on—maintaining the action through the passing of the clicker.

I wasn't the favourite against the Korean Ji Yechan, but I managed to hold this requirement. The match was tight on every set, every arrow. I managed to win it on the shoot-off arrow (9-8), showing patience in aiming: I waited for a slight lull in the gust of wind while maintaining maximum activity to avoid the relaxation that costs dearly. The extra centimetre is not a promise—it's a behaviour repeated until it becomes natural.

The battle fought on this match, and the intensity required so the technique wouldn't degrade, had an impact on what followed. I didn't manage to be at 100%: I stumbled on some aiming compensations, but also at the moment when the action must remain continuous while passing the clicker. I lost against Nicholas d'Amour: 7-1. I was a bit disappointed not to have had sufficient weapons to fight longer, but without regrets: over the whole competition, the initial objective was largely respected. I leave this competition convinced I'm heading in the right direction, but also with the desire to work even harder to go further and further in competitions.

## Cultural Discovery

Peaceful in mind after this competition conducted as I wished, I took advantage of Sunday (not being a finalist) to leave early in the morning. Having had to make a choice, and only having this free day before my return to Switzerland, I chose to focus on the most famous monuments of the European part of ancient Constantinople. I built a simple itinerary that I could do on foot once there. I thus visited Hagia Sophia, the Topkapi Palace with its majestic views over the Bosphorus strait, the Blue Mosque, and the Basilica Cistern.


![Basilica Cistern](/IMG_1698.jpeg)
![View of the Bosphorus from Topkapi Palace](/IMG_1679.jpg)
![Throne room of Topkapi Palace](/IMG_1659.jpeg)


Without forgetting the theatre of this competition, the Okçular Vakfı complex, an extraordinary archery complex right in the heart of a megalopolis of over 15 million inhabitants. With an outdoor field of 32 targets, where the competition takes place. But also a guest house, a gym, a research institute, an archery museum, several training rooms, and even a mosque. All mixing modern and traditional archery.

## A Return After 10 Years

Finally, there is a context that gives full meaning to this return. 10 years: it had been 10 years since I shot an international outdoor competition—since the European Championship in Nottingham. I came to the Conquest Cup to test. Test if I still have what it takes inside me. Also test the credibility of a new project, whose outlines are gradually taking shape. And finally, concretely test the work done since my "resumption" in late March 2026. I followed the Conquest Cup back when I worked at World Archery since their desire to be a world ranking event. Few events launch with this ambition, outside the continental or international circuits, but the Conquest Cup (just like the Veronica's Cup in Slovenia, for example) has managed to establish itself over time with a strong identity, a coherent strategy, and a desire for efficiency.

**Teşekkür ederim Okçular Vakfı, Teşekkür ederim Türkiye.**

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