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Curling 101��Week 5!!�The Grand Finale!

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Week 5 Agenda

  • 1. Review reading ice
  • 2. Strategy discussion
  • 3. Warming up
  • 4. To the ice!

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Review Reading Ice

  • Always watch how stones move, both teams
    • On target?
    • How much curl? Break point?
    • Consistent curl? �(curl early? curl late?)
  • Ice will change during game �- usually gets faster
  • Watch pairs of rocks for inconsistencies

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Strategy Concepts

  • Overall game strategy, end strategy, shot strategy
    • Useful at club level as well as high performance
    • Play to your team’s strengths
    • Usually play the easiest shot which does the job
    • Force opponent to play shots & turns they don’t like
  • Think ahead! Plans can change as per shot/end results

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Strategy Concepts

  • No single strategic plan for all �situations - guidelines
  • You will see exceptions to �everything we tell you at all �levels of competition
  • Strategy based on skill level

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Strategy Concepts�Conservative vs aggressive

  • Conservative
    • Keep it clean �remove guards, �go after opponent stones
    • More basic shots

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Strategy Concepts�Conservative vs aggressive

  • Conservative
    • Keep it clean – remove guards, remove opponent stones to limit score
    • More basic shots
  • Aggressive
    • Can get messy – call guards, use guards, sometimes ignore stones
    • May try to score vs limiting opponent score
    • May try harder shots – freezes, raises, double take-outs

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Strategy Concepts�What to think about for each shot

  • Who has last rock?

Opportunity to score multiple points

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Strategy Concepts�What to think about for each shot

  • Who has last rock? Opportunity to score multiple points
  • What end is it?
    • Early 🡺 aggressive (time to recover)

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Strategy Concepts�What to think about for each shot

  • Who has last rock? Opportunity to score multiple points
  • What end is it?
    • Early 🡺 aggressive (time to recover)
  • What’s the score?
    • Behind 🡺 take more risk; ahead 🡺 keep open

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Strategy Concepts�What to think about for each shot

  • Who has last rock? Opportunity to score multiple points
  • What end is it?
    • Early 🡺 aggressive (time to recover)
  • What’s the score?
    • Behind 🡺 take more risk; ahead 🡺 keep open
  • How’s the ice?
    • Straight 🡺 taps; curls 🡺 come arounds

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Strategy Concepts�What to think about for each shot

  • Who has last rock? Opportunity to score multiple points
  • What end is it?
    • Early 🡺 aggressive (time to recover)
  • What’s the score?
    • Behind 🡺 take more risk; ahead 🡺 keep open
  • How’s the ice?
    • Straight 🡺 taps; curls 🡺 come arounds
  • How good are they?

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Strategy Concepts�What to think about for each shot

  • Who has last rock? Opportunity to score multiple points
  • What end is it?
    • Early 🡺 aggressive (time to recover)
  • What’s the score?
    • Behind 🡺 take more risk; ahead 🡺 keep open
  • How’s the ice?
    • Straight 🡺 taps; curls 🡺 come arounds
  • How good are they? How good are you?

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Strategy Concepts�Further thoughts

  • What’s the upside vs downside of each shot?
    • What if the shot misses?
  • What shot is the opposition likely to �call next?

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Strategy Concepts�Further thoughts

  • What’s the upside vs downside of each shot?
    • What if the shot misses?
  • What shot is the opposition likely to call next?

  • Adjust ice for team member who’s always wide or narrow?
    • Maybe useful short term, should fix problem long term
  • Also watch for this in opposition – force those shots

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Strategy Concepts�Early/late in the game

  • Early – conservative first end, then aggressive to get a lead
    • Get to know the ice, the teams
    • Don’t want to give up a big end and get behind
    • Keep it clean – takeouts

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Strategy Concepts�Early/late in the game

  • Late – play aggressive �if you’re behind
    • More guards and draws, more �stones in play
    • Last end if you need 1, doesn’t �matter how many you give up

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Strategy Concepts�Last rock

  • Theory is that team with last rock can take 1
    • Better to use last rock to take �more than 1!
  • We can increase the odds of �taking 1 or more:
    • Keep an open channel �to the button
    • Split the house versus �guarding shot rock

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Strategy Concepts�Last rock

  • Try to keep a basic shot for last �rock – avoid the circus!

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Strategy Concepts�Last rock

  • Without last rock try and steal �🡺 center guards
    • Want to bury a stone on the 4’

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Strategy Concepts�What’s the score?

  • Way ahead 🡺 keep it clean
    • More takeouts, no guards
    • Late in the game consider �throwing lead stones through

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Strategy Concepts�Ice conditions

  • Straight ice – tap instead of come around draw
  • Consistent ice? No 🡺 less risky (simpler) shots
  • Do you know the ice? No 🡺 less risky shots
  • Ice speed
    • Fast ice – good for draws, sweeping can take stones further than on slow ice (also easier to oversweep!)
    • Fast ice – more action on hits make them harder to keep the shooter in play

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Strategy Concepts�Ice conditions

  • Conditions change during the

game!

  • Watch for curl break point, straight �spots, frost, etc
  • Watch for spots which �are difficult to get to

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Strategy Concepts�Final thoughts

  • Watch for the ‘B’ shot
  • Stones in front of tee line �vs behind
    • Sweeping communication is vital!
  • Respect your opponent!

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To The Ice!

  • Grippers
  • Grab a broom
  • Slide/delivery practice
  • Game time!

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Warm Up Time!

  • Step – Stretch – Slide
  • Step
    • Walk on the spot, bum kicks, step up/down
  • Stretch
    • Neck movement, shoulder rolls, golfer’s twist
    • Leg swings, half lunges, heel raises
  • Slide (on the ice ….)