hurry hard

  

  

  

  

 

 

  

 

My Curling commentary...   IN THE RINGS

I love curling. It is a relaxed game, but one of great skill. When making a difficult shot the player has to consider many things. If the shot is too heavy, it will not curl as much, will miss its target if proper ice was allowed for a proper weight, and will end up in a bad position, likely behind the T-line. If it too light, the rock will begin to curl early, and will have to be swept hard to stay on target, and will likely end up in the front of the house, in a double take-out position, or a vulnerable position. The ice, has "running" patches, where the rock stays straighter and often builds up frost as the game goes on. So what worked in one end, may not work in the next. The "new" game of curling, which has evolved along with the 4-rock rule, has been predominantly influenced by the realization of the importance of "control" weight. Control weight is a shot of moderate weight that takes the line of the ice well, and can be controlled by sweepers. This way, even a slightly missed shot can be swept into a favourable position. That is why you don't see nearly as many of the "big bombs" you used to see. Kevin Martin still likes to execute them, them he has developed a better soft game, which is why he is still dominant. Eddie "The Wrench" Werenich, was really the one who introduced the perfect control weight game. When there were lots of rocks in the house, he took over with "tap and rolls".  I really enjoy watching the game, because each shot is a thinking process, and because of the slow pace, it gives you time to study the players, observe their responses, communication, body language and mind-set. It's interesting to watch when a player is discussing a shot with the Skip and is showing doubt about the final decision. You can almost see when they get into the hack that they don't feel right about the chosen shot. This is one of the many interesting nuances of Curling.

In Canadian men's curling, I don't see many changes in the "Power Rankings". Kevin Koe and Shane Park are strong teams who have gained experience from competing against Ferbey and Martin in Alberta. That gives them a decided advantage over young teams in provinces where the competition is thin. I would like to see younger teams work their way into the big tournaments, but it is a slow process. With the limited earning potential of curlers, it is difficult for them to expand their playing into a more frequent, competitive national field format.