Why do curlers sweep the ice

The curling stone, or rock, is made of dense polished granite from Ailsa Craig, Scotland, and in the Olympics, each rock weighs The bottom of the stone is concave so that only the outside ring, called the running band, is in contact with the ice. This minimizes the friction and allows the stone to slide farther. So what causes this curling motion? Each ice sheet is different. The reason the ice has bumps and the reason the teams sweep the ice in front of the stone are both to control friction and control the curl of the stone.

Adding bumps to the ice is known as pebbling. Ice technicians sprinkle two layers of water droplets on top of the ice that freeze to form two heights of bumps. The pebbles, just like the concavity in the bottom of the stone, minimize the surface area of the rock and therefore minimize the friction.

If the ice were flat, the friction on the stone would be too high and the rock would not travel half as far. Pebbling was designed to mimic the natural snow and pebbles that were on the ice when curling was played outside. Sweeping in front of the stone reduces friction and helps the curlers control the amount of curl the stone undergoes.

Generally, all four players are involved in each shot. Because curling is such an intense sport sometimes if the skips aren't yelling their commands it could lead to a misunderstanding between the team. In curling, there's just a sense of urgency and at the [Olympic] level you have to go hard. Rink Another name for a curling team. It is made up of four players: the lead, the second, the third and the skip. Third The player that shoots third in each end. The third is also often the vice-skip.

Vice-skip The person who stands in the house and directs the game when the skip is shooting. When the skip shoots, the vice-skip holds the broom as the target. The vice-skip is often the third. Skip The leader of a curling team. He usually shoots last. Fourth The player who shoots fourth for a team in each end. Normally the person who shoots fourth is the skip. This term is only used if that person is not the skip. Back line The line at the back of the house. Rocks completely beyond the line are out of play.

Free Guard Zone The area between the hog line the line behind which a player must release a stone and the house. Hack The rubber foothold where curlers begin their delivery.

It is located feet from the center of the house. Hog line The line behind which a player must release a stone. It is located 21 feet from the tee. If a stone does not travel beyond the far hog line, it is removed from play. House The circular scoring area. It is 12 feet in diameter and is made up of four concentric circles. The outside ring is 12 feet in diameter, the next ring is eight feet in diameter, the next ring is four feet in diameter and the inside ring is one foot in diameter.

Sheet The playing area. It is feet long and allows play in both directions. Tee The center of the house. Scoring is determined by which rock is closest to the tee. Heavy Ice Slow ice. It means the rocks have to be thrown harder. All in good time, grasshopper.

Unlike most ice-based sports, curling ice is deliberately made bumpy instead of smooth by spraying water droplets onto the surface of the ice and letting them freeze. This also causes the stone to spin, or curl, which is where curling gets its name.

The added slidey-ness technical term , also makes the stone go farther, which allows the thrower to play a little more fast and loose with how hard the stone is thrown. Is quicker sweeping better or is it better to sweep all the more leisurely with more prominent power?

On the off chance that you have been watching the early adjustments of the new blended copies curling Olympic rivalry, you have seen a ton of disproportionate scores and a ton of over curling. For instance, a stone may have an excess of weight, yet expect sweeping to forestall curling into a watchman. The group should conclude which is better: getting by the watchman, however , voyaging too far over curling , or hitting the gatekeeper.

On account of steady over curling, it may be the case that the players are misreading the state of the ice however it could likewise be that the sweeping strategies utilized are insufficient at accomplishing the ideal outcome.