Basic Curling Strategies with the Hammer

Based in Colorado, Muneeb Chawla is a senior data scientist who works with technologies such as machine learning in developing networks. A sports enthusiast, Muneeb Chawla enjoys karate to sky diving in his free time. He has also tried ice sport curling.

Curling is a tactical game that requires precision and involves sets of team throws to gain points by knocking out opponents’ stones and leaving your stones within the house (the concentric circles on ice).

The offense focuses on the hammer or situations where your team is on the offensive and attempting to score two or more points. The major advantage of the hammer is that your team is in control of the outcome, as it throws the last stone, and the opponent cannot place the last shot.

The best strategy for scoring at least two points is to begin by throwing a corner guard away from the centerline. This stone is positioned such that another stone can be thrown behind it while still leaving a scoring opportunity open (hitting the stone into the house).

At the same time, maintain an open middle of the sheet, as this offers defensive benefits. For example, the stone can be knocked out if the opponent tries for a center guard (guarding the house). Should the opponent throw into the house, your team can attempt a takeout or lighter hit. Conversely, when the team does not have a hammer, it tries to limit the opponent to a single point.

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