Curling Strategy

1
Curling Strategy

• An unsanctioned, unofficial, un-censored
  collection of half-baked concepts by a confirmed
  curling amateur
  
• John Falkingham

2
Outline

• Basic Concepts
• Getting Started
• Playing Out the End
• Strengths and Weaknesses
• Missing on the pro-side
• Its a Team Game A role for everybody
• Strategies for Beating the Clock

3
Basic Concepts

• With the hammer,
• Try to score two points
• Anything more is a bonus
• Without the hammer,
• Try to steal one point
• Or at least keep your opponent to only one point
• Be patient
• Dont get greedy
• Big ends happen by themselves

4
Basic Concepts

• With the hammer,
• Play to the wings
• Play in the rings

5
Hammer
6
Basic Concepts

• With the hammer,
• Play to the wings
• Play in the rings
• Without the hammer,
• Play to the centre
• Control the front of the house

7
Hammer
?
8
Getting Started

• Lead stones determine how the rest of the end
  will play out
  
• Without the hammer
• 1st stone should be in front of the house
  straddling the centre line

9
Hammer
10
Hammer
11
Getting Started

• Lead stones determine how the rest of the end
  will play out
  
• Without the hammer
• 1st stone should be in front of the house
  straddling the centre line
  
• With the hammer
• If you get the chance, corner guard

12
Hammer
13
Getting Started

• Lead stones determine how the rest of the end
  will play out
  
• Without the hammer
• 1st stone should be in front of the house
  straddling the centre line
  
• With the hammer
• If you get the chance, corner guard
• If not, corner guard or top of the 4 foot

14
Hammer
15
Hammer
16
Playing Out the End

• After the first two stones, the possibilities are
  limitless
  
• Remember your basic strategy
• With the hammer,
• Play to the wings, Play in the rings
• Without the hammer,
• Play to the centre, Control the front
• but dont be a slave to it
• Take advantages of your opponents miscues

17
Hammer
18
Hammer
19
Playing Out the End

• With the hammer
• Get rid of the centre guards as soon as you can
• those are the stones that will permit your
  opponent to steal the end
  
• Without the hammer
• Keep putting up centre guards
• Control the front
• Dont go for the house too early

20
Hammer
21
Playing Out the End

• Opponents rocks behind the T-line are your
  friends
  
• Dont be too eager to take them out especially
  if you dont have the hammer
  
• Use the freeze

22
Hammer
23
Strengths and Weaknesses

• Know your team play to their strengths
• If you dont know your team, draws are generally
  better than take-outs
  
• Takeouts require skip and shooter to be in sync
  there are many ways to miss
  
• If a take-out misses, thats all there is
• Draws require shooter to find the right weight
  and skip to find the right broom but
  separately
  
• A missed draw can often still be useful

24
Strengths and Weaknesses

• If you are going to play a draw game, commit to
  it
  
• Dont go after the flobs
• It takes nerves and patience and occasionally
  youll lose a big end and a bid game

25
Hammer
26
Pro-Side Misses

• Nobodys perfect
• Missing on the pro side means erring in a way
  that does the least damage

27
Hammer
28
Hammer
29
Hammer
30
Hammer
31
Hammer
32
Hammer