Effective Sweeping

The Effects of Sweeping

• Reduces the friction between the stone and the ice surface, allowing the stone to maintain its momentum longer
• Smoothes the pebble and removes frost and debris
• Causes the pebble to melt briefly, creating a thin film of moisture that acts as a lubricant between the ice and the stone

Effects on the running stone

• The stone does not slow down as quickly, therefore it travels further
• As a result of momentum being maintained by brushing, the stone will arrive at the target sooner. Since the amount the stone curls is dependent upon time the stone will not have as much time to curl and will therefore travel straighter.

To become an effective sweeper, the curler must develop endurance, brush head speed, downward pressure on the brush head, weight judgment skills and the ability to communicate the weight to the skip or vice skip in the house.

Sweeping Stance

• Stand beside the path of the stone
• Position your feet so that they are shoulder width apart, parallel to the path of the stone.
• Bend your knees so that your weight is on the balls of your feet.
• This stance position will permit you to move efficiently down the ice and ensure that you have a clear line of vision toward the target and your skip or vice skip. A clear line of vision enables the sweepers to see stationary stones and is beneficial for weight judgment and communication

Grip

• Place the brush handle across the front of your body.
• Grip the handle with both hands in a comfortable position.
• Lean forward and place the brush head on the ice
• Transfer some body weight onto the brush head by lifting the heels slightly off the ice.
• The bottom arm should be relatively straight.

Footwork

• Whenever possible have a gripper on both shoes.
• Use a gliding cross country ski style of footwork down the ice.
• Both feet remain in contact with the ice at all time.
• Remain on the balls of your feet to ensure that the upper bodyweight remains on the brush head.

Sweeping Action

• Apply as much downward pressure as possible on to the brush head.
• At the same time implement a push-pull action.

Sweeping Tips

• Practice sweeping on both sides
• Be prepared to sweep from the hog to the tee line and beyond if necessary.
• Follow all stones to their conclusion. Don't give up on them part way down the ice!
• Know what shot is being called to understand what weight is wanted.
• Develop good communication with the skip. Let the skip know what weight was delivered.
• Prior to every shot, check the intended path of the stone. Remove all visible debris.
• The inside sweeper should brush as close as possible to the stone. The outside sweeper should sweep as close as possible to the inside sweeper.
• Sweep all shots lightly to keep the path clean.
• Scheck brushes after each shot. Ensure that they have not accumulated debris. Deposit debris in the refuse container, not on the ice.
• As you brush down the ice, remember to breathe normally. Do not hold your breath.
• Alternate your vision from the stone to the far end and continually judge and re-judge the weight.
• The sweepers are responsible for judging the weight of the delivered stone. The skip/vice skip is responsible for judging the line or path of the stone. Communication between the sweepers and the skip is vital.