The first 30 minutes consisted of "classroom" instruction. Really we had 40 people of all ages and both genders (only one race) in a junior hockey locker room. Everything that was covered I basically already knew.
Then we got about 50 minutes of practice. Getting comfortable in the hack, shooting, sweeping.
And then we got 40 minutes of scrimmage, which is enough to play two ends (innings). [4 people to a team, each shoots two rocks. So 16 rocks get thrown in an end. 8 ends in a recreational game, 10 in olympics.]
There are four positions. Lead, second, vice-skip and skip. Skip calls the shots for the other three, so he never sweeps. The vice skip sweeps for the first two, and calls the shot for the skip. The lead and second have to sweep every time they are not shooting, with the lead getting the honor three times in a row. Sweeping is kind of fun, but once is enough for half an hour. So it kind of sucks to have to sweep three times in an end.
It is surprisingly hard to get the stone to the other side. A good number of people never made it past the hog line (so it was cleared off.) Sort of the opposite of shuffleboard where you have to really try to keep it on the table. Here you have to really give it some oomph to put it in the house. In practice, I did put two through the house, so I at least figured out how to give it enough power.
For the scrimmage, we were assigned positions randomly. Here's a recap:
End #1
Position: Second
My two shots were poor. One knockout attempt that seemed on target slid left through the house. I put the wrong spin on my second shot (there's a lot to concentrate on while you're shooting) and it sort of sputtered short and right of the house. It was across the hog line, but too far to the right to be considered a guard. If this was golf it was in the bunker.
As a second, you get to sweep for all the other shooters. Our vice-skip threw a nice rock that I helped sweep into the house. (On this particular ice, sweeping only helps so much, but it still matters.) It ended up being the only rock in the house. Not because of knockouts, just it was the only shot that made it there.
At this extreme rookie level, the hammer is largely inconsequential.
Score for 1st end: Red 1, Yellow 0.
End #2
Position: Vice-skip
As vice-skip (also known as third) I was sweeping for the first two shooters. When it was my turn, there were two red rocks in the house, no yellow, and no real guards. My first shot was short and left. It didn't even make it to the hog line so it had to be cleared off. The coach down at that end gave me this advice.
Coach: You need to reel back more in the delivery.
Me: Like I need to stand up more.
Coach: Yeah. It's almost going to look like you're sticking your butt out.
Me: Stick your butt out. Got it.
At this point, I was 50/50 on curling. It was fun, but it seemed like the learning curve might be too steep.
I took my fourth shot. I stuck my butt out. And wouldn't you know that it had good speed, started just right of center, went pretty straight, and curled into the house and landed on the red ring. In my head I was screaming, "On the Goddamn BUTTON!" Of course, the button is the white circle in the middle. But still, it was the closest any of our group of 8 had come to the button. So now there were three red in the house, no yellow. The next yellow shot knocks one of red guards into the house.
As the vice-skip, it's my turn to come down and call the shot for the skip. And it's not an obvious choice. We've got four in the house. You'd like to add one, but you don't want to knock any of yours out. So I call for a soft draw to the front edge of the house. He lets it go and it's seems strong so I don't call for any sweeping, and then once it's halfway I shout "SWEEP" and then once it's almost to the hogline I shout "OFF." They only had to sweep for 10 feet or so. And sure enough, that rock came in ever so gently, tapped one of red rocks in the blue ring, and they both stayed in the scoring zone. That felt nice.
Up five-oh, with two shots to go, I called for our last shot to be a guard up front. I didn't call for enough sweeping and it stopped a foot short of the hog line. But it didn't matter. The yellow team couldn't do anything about it.
Score for 2nd end: Red 5, Yellow 0.
Final: Red 6, Yellow 0.
- - -
Every position gets to throw two rocks per end, so it would seem that if all you care about is shooting, it doesn't matter which position you are. But the lead (in theory) would place draws/guards. The second knockouts. And the third and skip are responsible for scoring plays. And the first and second have to do the most sweeping.
I haven't been a skip yet, but I think I would like it. But vice-skip is good too, since they get a little of everything.
After I made that shot and called another one into score, I felt like I was all in on curling. And I get to go back tonight for another two hours, which will have less practice and more gameplay.
Until next time, good curling!
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