GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT
the rings, the diagram says that you should ignore the lead’s stone that is in the house and throw a corner guard. Sometimes it is okay, or even neces- sary, to ignore your opponent’s rocks that are in the rings in order to start building an end. If you hit their stones early in the end, you will not be tak- ing advantage of the “free guard” rule and you will never be in a position to generate the offense that you need to get back in the game (unless they miss lots of open hits). When you have the hammer, don’t panic just because they have a rock or
two in the house, especially if they are behind the tee line. Get some corner guards and then look for an opportunity to hit the rocks that they threw into the top of the house and hopefully roll your shooter behind one of your corner guards. Now you have the middle open and some corner guards to work with. If they have rocks well behind the tee line, you may want to leave them there. Tey may be good backers that you can use later in the end. Also, think about how you want to play the first end. Do you want to get
into a junk game right away? If you are an aggressive team with a good draw game, maybe you do. But, if you don’t have the hammer, you may want to encourage a clean end by throwing your first stone into the four-foot and hoping to play more of a hit end and getting a feel for the ice. If you have the hammer in the first end and they throw up a center guard,
consider playing a tight come- around draw and try to tick them off to the side, or just get by and hide behind them. Ten watch for an opportunity to clear guards. Either approach will encourage more of a hit game. Your team can get loosened up and you can learn the ice. Hopefully you can avoid hav- ing to make a game-saving draw with your first draw of the game. What about the last end when you absolutely have to steal one? Keep
throwing guards until late in the end, maybe even until your last shot. If you do get a center guard and it is your turn to throw, put up another center guard that is directly in line with the other guard and keep some distance between them. Well placed center guards are tough to double out, or at least the other team’s shooter will stay in play somewhere in the middle of the sheet. Whatever the case, you will have a guard and something to hide behind with your last shot. Knowing when to attack and when to play defensively is ultimately dic-
tated by your team’s mentality, skill levels, and other SHEETZ (Score, Ham- mer, End, Environment, Team, and FGZ) factors. Before you start an end, have a goal in mind (score two or more, blank, or steal) and know what kinds of tactics you can use to impose your will on the other team. Playing without a plan is planning to fail.
Te FGZ rule has made curling a far more com-
plicated game than is used to be and it demands more of every position. Learning related strategy takes time. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and make use of opportunities to watch how others play – both live and on TV. Tis is the stuff that
makes curling really fun. Also remember that sound strategy is not a substitute for good shooting.
If your team is not shooting at least 50 percent, it probably doesn’t matter how good your strategy is. Get out there and practice, and make sure you are using proper delivery techniques. If you’ve forgotten what they are, go back and read some of my previous articles on the ABCs of a good delivery. Te articles are on USA Curling’s website (USA Curling – Inside the USCA – CNews Columnists – Columns by Jon Mielke). Until next time – play smart and good curling! n
USA Curling (( 9 // CERTIFICATIONS
Level I Ice Technician Ethan Birkholz, Fairbanks Curling Club Peren Bjork, Evergreen Curling Club David Cogen, Green Mountain Curling Club Joseph Fox, Granite Curling Club Em Good, Granite Curling Club MacAllan Guy, Granite Curling Club Ken Hall, Fairbanks Curling Club John Henthorn, Granite Curling Club Jon Johnson, Fairbanks Curling Club Scott Klinkhammer, Evergreen Curling Club Severin Larson, Granite Curling Club Dave Leinweber, Granite Curling Club Bert Mitman, Fairbanks Curling Club Gordon Moe, Fairbanks Curling Club Dick Nordgren, Capital Curling Club Don Rimmer, Granite Curling Club Christopher Rimple, Granite Curling Club Don Ritchie, Broomstones Curling Club Terry Schmidt, Fairbanks Curling Club Bill Scullion, Fairbanks Curling Club Steve Shuttleworth, Fairbanks Curling Club Dennis Ties, Fairbanks Curling Club Tom Violette, Granite Curling Club
Level I Instructor Craig Fischer, Fort Wayne Curling Club Jay W. Flanders, Woodstock Curling Club Dave Flippo, Anchorage Curling Club Robert Harbold, Plainfield Curling Club Nigel Johnson, Plainfield Curling Club Bob Leckron, Fort Wayne Curling Club Jerri Mead, Fort Wayne Curling Club Lon Peper, Palmetto Curling Club Dean Roth, Plainfield Curling Club Victoria Sprague, Fort Wayne Curling Club Mark Szemple, Plainfield Curling Club Karen Tait, Coyotes Curling Club John Taylor, Kansas City Curling Club Tracey Taylor, Kansas City Curling Club Robert Zasowski, Great Smoky Mountains Curling Club
Level II Instructor Dave Flippo, Anchorage Curling Club
Level II Official Dean Markwardt, Marshfield Curling Club
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