The Delivery

Delivery of the rock begins with the curler getting the appropriately numbered rock for the turn out of the area where they are kept, near the back, outside edge of the sheet. The curler crouches in the area of the hack. It is good policy to gently tip the rock onto one side and while holding the handle with one hand, gently clean the bottom running surface of the rock of any accumulated debris or dirt. This is important as any small piece of lint, hair, ice chip etc. that the rock may encounter on its path down the sheet could send the most well-thrown rock awry. The curler then gets into the hack, placing their right foot (for a right-handed curler) in the left hack cup. The curler is squatting with the rock on the ice slightly ahead of the right foot and the handle is held gently in the fingers of the right hand, at either a 10 o’clock or 2 o’clock position, as directed by the skip. The broom or sliding aid is in the left hand and is used for balance. The motion starts by sliding the rock, the broom and the left foot back simultaneously, while raising the hips slightly. The forward motion begins by pushing off with the right foot and lowering the hips which creates the forward slide action. The right leg and foot extends out behind the curler, acting as a rudder and stabilizer. The curler’s weight is primarily balanced on the left foot, which is underneath a bent left knee, directly under the center of the chest. The curler slides out with the shoulders square to the line to the skip’s broom or target and the weight is balanced over the left foot as the slide continues out on a line toward the broom target. Prior to reaching the hogline, the curler releases the rock by returning the handle from the 10 or 2 o’clock position to the 12 o’clock position. This movement will generate a small amount of spin on the rock, which in turn creates the curl. Moving the rock from 10 to 12 o’clock creates a clockwise, or “in turn” spin which makes the rock move from left to right as it travels down the sheet. Moving the rock from 2 to 12 o’clock does the opposite. Upon gently releasing the rock, the curler will usually slide a bit further down the ice, only as a means of follow through.