©Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (2009) 8, 495-500

http://www.jssm.org

Review article

The sports science of curling: A practical review

John L. Bradley
Department of Education, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland

of curling stones have been the subject of a number of

Abstract studies (Denny, 1998; Jensen and Shegelski, 2004;
Curling is a sport played on ice in which two teams each deliver Marmo and Blackford, 2004; Penner, 2001; Shegelski et
8 granite stones towards a target, or ‘house’. It is the only sport al., 1996). It has been shown that the motion of a stone
in which the trajectory of the projectile can be influenced after it and the amount of curl is due to the thin liquid film be-
has been released by the athlete. This is achieved by sweeping tween the stone and the ice. Sweeping the ice in front of
the ice in front of the stone to change the stone-ice friction and
thereby enable to stone to travel further, curl more or stay
the stone can change this stone-ice interface by two pos-
straight. Hard sweeping is physically demanding. Different sible mechanisms in theory: 1) increasing the ice tempera-
techniques of sweeping can also have different effects on the ture momentarily; 2) smoothing the ice by removing frost
stone. This paper will review the current research behind sweep- or debris. However, in frost-free conditions, any reduction
ing a curling stone, outline the physiological demands of sweep- in surface roughness (‘polishing’) will have a negligible
ing, the associated performance effects and suggest potential effect compared to the roughness of the stone (Marmo et
strategies of sweeping that can be used by both coaches and al, 2006a). Therefore, in these conditions raising the tem-
curling teams. perature of the ice by sweeping has the greatest effect on
the reduction in friction between the stone and the ice.
Key words: Sweeping, winter sports, physiological demands,
sweep strategy, training.

Introduction

Curling is a game of skill and tradition and is one of the

fastest growing winter sports (Royal Caledonian Curling
Club, 2008). It is also a game that at the highest level has
unique physical demands. A typical curling game lasting
2.5 hours. At Olympic and World level it can take up to
14 games to get to the podium, playing usually up to 2
games per day, sometimes with only a short break be-
tween. This can result in up to 35 hours of competitive
play, making curling one of the longest of the Olympic
sports. Curling has been a regular Olympic sport since
1998 and sports science is playing an increasing role in
assisting in the preparation of elite curlers. The aim of this
article is to outline how sports science can play a part in
curling. It will look at the science behind the sport and
how this can inform coaching and playing strategies.
Curling is a sport in which two teams of four play-
ers (usually all male or all female although some competi-
tions are for mixed teams) deliver two ~18.6kg granite
stones each on an approximate 42m x 4.5m sheet of ice
towards a target or house (Figure 1). The stones are deliv-
ered from the hack and the aim is to get one or more of
your teams’ stones nearest the centre of house. Curling is
the only sport where the trajectory of the projectile can be
influenced after the stone has been released. Players
sweep the ice in front of the stone to momentarily in-
crease the temperature of the ice as the stone passes over
it and reduce the friction between the stone and the ice
(Buckingham et al., 2006). Depending on the direction the
stone is rotating (the ‘handle’) and the side of the stone
the player is standing to sweep, this will allow the stone Figure 1. The layout of a curling rink.
to stay straighter in its path or to curl more. The dynamics Distances are given from the Hack.

Received: 10 July 2009 / Accepted: 02 October 2009 / Published (online): 01 December 2009
496 The sports science of curling

A typical curling game lasts 2.43 hours (73min al- running band of a stone, so-called ‘corner sweeping’).
lowed per team) and consists of 10 ends. An end consists This is the basis for sweeping strategy and controlling the
of each team playing their 8 stones. A team of four will stone to manoeuvre around a guard stone or draw into the
consist of a lead player who will always play the first 2 house.
stones from that team, a second, a third and a skip who
will always play the last 2 stones from that team. The skip
traditionally stands at the house and controls the team A
strategy for the game. The two players not playing a stone
will be available to sweep the stone as directed by the
skip. The lead and second players could be asked to
sweep 6 stones per end, for 10 ends or 60 stones per game
(the third player acts as vice skip, standing in for the skip
when he/she is playing their stones). A player could theo-
retically sweep for up to 1.7km per game. Aggressive
sweeping is high intensity. Hard sweeping for 20s can
result in the generation of approximately 600-1600kJ of
work and produce a typical average heart rate of 170bpm.
However this can result in up to 2500kJ of work and a
heart rate of almost 200bpm in some individuals [Bradley,
unpublished data collected using trials of an instrumented
curling brush, (Buckingham et al., 2006)]. This had led to
the development of strategies to improve sweeping per-
formance.

Science of sweeping B
The stone is delivered from the hack towards the house,
some 38m away. The ice surface on a curling rink con-
sists of lots of small raised ‘pebbles’ caused by water
droplets being sprayed onto the ice before play. This
pebbled ice surface allows the stone to travel the full
distance from hack to house with moderate curl. A non-
pebbled ice surface alters the motion of the stone consid-
erably, producing a greater degree of curl with a reduced
delivery distance (Jensen and Shegelski, 2004). The stone
is released with a clockwise or anti-clockwise rotation
(for a right handed curler this is termed in-turn or out-turn
respectively) which will cause it to curl to the right or left
respectively. The curl is produced due to the lower fric-
tion under the forward rotating side of the stone (in the
direction of travel) compared to the backward rotating
side. This is due to greater rotational velocity relative to
the ice under the forward rotating side of the stone caus-
ing greater heat generation under that side of the stone.
This will momentarily increase the temperature of the ice
under that side of the stone, causing a reduction in fric-
tion. This produces an asymmetric coefficient of friction Figure 2. Sweeping the same piece of ice more than once. A
and results in the stone curling to the right or left (e.g. a illustrates the position of the curler with respect to the stone
stone rotating anti-clockwise will curl to the left). in conventional sweeping. B is a thermal animation of the
heat generated from conventional sweeping [thermal movie
During sweeping, the peak downwards force oc- reproduced with kind permission from Marmo et al (2006b),
curs when the brush head is closest to the curler’s feet available from URL: http://www.jssm.org/vol8/n4/1/curl-
(Figure 2). This is due to the horizontal moment arm from ing.htm.
the curler’s centre of mass being reduced to a minimum,
increasing the vertical force exerted on the brush head To sweep faster or harder?
(Marmo and Blackford, 2004). This will influence the Is it better to sweep faster, or to press down into the ice
pattern of heat generation in front of the stone. Depending with more force? Both of these strategies will affect
on the handle of the stone, sweeping on the left or right of stone-ice friction. The stone can be delivered with a ve-
the stone can then enhance or partially correct for the locity of ~2 m·s-1 and be sliding for up to 30s (Bucking-
friction asymmetry and therefore enhance or reduce the ham et al., 2006). The stone will obviously be moving
curl of a stone. (This asymmetric generation of heat from fastest when it is released by the curler and moving slow-
sweeping will occur regardless of sweep length. The full est as it crosses the hog line and moves into the house.
width of the running band of the stone must be swept Increasing downward pressure of the brush onto the ice
however as it is currently illegal to sweep only part of the will generate more heat and a consequent reduction in
Bradley 497

friction between the stone and the ice. Sweeping faster 0.1071m (Table 2) at first appears not to cover the run-
(greater brush head velocity) will also increase the heat ning band but this does not take into account the curling
generated causing a corresponding reduction in stone-ice brush head dimensions (approximately 0.07m wide and
friction. Using the model developed by Marmo et al. 0.20m long). Depending on the orientation of the brush
(2006a; 2006b) it can be shown that doubling the down- head in front of the stone, the entire running band can be
wards force will increase the heat generated at the brush covered. However if during sweeping the longitudinal
head by a factor of 2 and doubling the sweep velocity will axis of the brush head is parallel to the direction of stone
increase the heat generated by a factor of 1.55. However, travel (as illustrated in Figure 2) there is greatest chance
sweeping over the same piece of ice more than once has that part of the brush head will sweep the same area of ice
the greatest impact on heat transferred to that part of ice more than once on faster moving stones (resulting in
and hence greatest reduction in stone-ice friction (Marmo much more effective sweeping).
et al., 2006a). The objective of sweeping is to raise ice As the effect of sweeping on a stone differs accord-
temperature and the maximum temperature rises occur ing to stone velocity and sweeping style, this has implica-
where successive brush strokes overlap. Generally speak- tions for coaching and developing sweep ability. The skip
ing, sweeping faster to sweep the same piece of ice sev- will have most need to sweep a slow moving stone, being
eral times has a greater effect on reducing stone-ice fric- in the house area of the sheet for most of the game. The
tion than applying more pressure. lead and second will mostly sweep faster moving stones
However this changes with the speed of the stone. as they approach the house. Skips may find the use of
If the stone is moving at 2m/s, a typical 0.20m brush head downwards force more effective and sweeping speed not
used in a conventional sweeping style, standing just in as vital to reducing the stone-ice friction as the other team
front of the stone perpendicular to the direction of travel, members sweeping when the stone is travelling faster.
will need to sweep at a rate of 10Hz (sweep 10 times per This has implications for strength and conditioning. Skips
second) for the brush to cover the same area of ice more and thirds should perhaps be more inclined towards
than once (Figure. 2). As it is difficult to sweep fast whilst strength development and curlers who will sweep faster
maintaining a high level of downwards force, sweep stones (leads, seconds) perhaps be more inclined to speed
speed is most important at faster stone velocities (sweep- development. Cardiovascular fitness plays a significant
ing also has less of an effect on a faster moving stone: role here too. As mentioned earlier, hard sweeping pro-
Jensen and Shegelski, 2004; Marmo and Blackford, duces an average heart rate of 170bpm. To be able to
2004). As the stone slows down the speed of sweeping repeat this throughout a game and a tournament as needed
required for the brush head to sweep over the same area requires considerable cardiovascular fitness. The different
of ice more than once decreases (Table 1). When the strategies and physical characteristics necessary for effec-
stone is moving slowest in the house, sweeping is most tive sweeping of faster and slower moving stones may
effective. Here, greater downwards force will have more also be useful when selecting the ideal team positions,
influence than sweep speed as it is easy for the brush head taking into account individual curlers particular strengths
to sweep over the same area of ice several times at such and weaknesses.
slow speeds.
Fatigue
Table 1. Changing sweep speeds with stone velocity to The sweep rate and force generated are the principle fac-
achieve overlapping sweep strokes (for a typical 0.20m tors that control the heat generated during sweeping.
length brush head). Sweep rate has been shown to decline during a 20-25s
Stone velocity (m·s-1) Sweep Speed (Hz) period of hard sweeping. However, the sweep rate recov-
2.0 10 ers quickly and remains relatively consistent in successive
1.0 5
bouts separated by a recovery period (Buckingham et al.,
.5 2.5
2006). In an analysis of sweeping action in 17 elite curlers
performing three 20s bouts of hard sweeping separated by
Data collected from elite curlers during trials of an
1min recovery (using an instrumented curling brush de-
instrumented curling brush (developed by Buckingham et
veloped by Buckingham et al., 2006) we looked in more
al, 2006) can be used to illustrate sweeping technique
detail at sweep length and vertical force. Sweep length
(Table 2).
was very similar between male and female curlers and
Note that from these results the sweeper would
remained remarkably consistent (Figure 3). Vertical force
struggle to effectively sweep a stone travelling at a veloc-
generated by male curlers however was nearly double that
ity of 1.0 m·s-1 or higher as the maximum sweep rate is
generated by female curlers (Table 2). This led to the
only approximately 4/s.
vertical force in successive 20s bouts of hard sweeping
A typical curling stone is 0.25m in diameter and
falling significantly in male curlers but being more con-
makes contact with the ice through a circular running
sistent in female curlers (Figure 4). This is despite the
band of approximately 0.15m diameter. A sweep length of

Table 2. Typical results from 17 elite competitive curlers (5 male, 12 female) performing 20s periods of hard sweeping (mean
(SD)).
Average Sweep Average Sweep Average Total Average Heart Vertical Force (N)
Length (m) Rate (Hz) Work (kJ) Rate (bpm)
Male .1071 (.013) 4.32 (.66) 1538 (522) 169 (16) 146.3 (29.0)
Female .1071 (.024) 3.81 (.37) 663 (301) 164 (16) 81.7 (17.7)
498 The sports science of curling

Sweep length during three 20s bouts of

sweeping
0,16
0,14
Sweep Length (m) 0,12
0,1
0,08
0,06
0,04
0,02
0
Male: Male: Male: Female: Female: Female:
Bout 1 Bout 2 Bout 3 Bout 1 Bout 2 Bout 3

Figure 3. Sweep length during 20s bouts of sweeping in male and female curlers.

work done remaining relatively constant (Table 2). This is pact on the stone-ice friction, allowing the shortest time
due to work done being calculated from the product of for the ice to re-cool before the stone travels over the
horizontal force and sweep length, both remaining consis- swept area. The ice temperature re-cools very quickly
tent in successive bouts of sweeping. Fatigue may be following sweeping. Sweeping 0.05m in front of a stone
more evident in male curlers during repeated bouts of travelling at 0.5 m·s-1 means 0.2s will elapse before the
hard sweeping but the fatigue profile of both male and running band passes over the swept ice. In this time the
female curlers within one bout of 20-25s of sweeping will ice temperature that had been increased due to sweeping
still result in a decline in sweeping rate. This can have can fall from approximately -3.7ºC to -4.7 ºC (on well
considerable impact on the heat generated from sweeping prepared ice with a temperature of approximately -5.0 ºC;
but could be minimised by the development of sweeping Marmo et al., 2006a). Sweeping further than 0.05m in
strategies. front of the stone allows a longer period to elapse before
the stone reaches the swept ice, further reducing any re-
Sweeping strategies duction in stone-ice friction due to sweeping. This can be
Sweeping is the most physical aspect of curling. As men- useful in situations when a skip does not want a stone to
tioned above, depending on the rotation of the stone the be swept (for example if it is moving too fast). Sweeping
side the curler stands when sweeping the stone can have 1m or more in front of a stone will clear any debris (to
very different effects on the stone trajectory. The pre- avoid the stone picking anything up that may alter its
ferred sweeping side may even change during the course intended trajectory) but the ice will have re-cooled com-
of a throw if a stone needs to stay straight to get past a pletely when the stone reaches the swept area.
guard stone then curl get into a scoring position for exam- Sweeping in pairs as a team can be highly effective
ple. The geometry of a stone is such that the running band here. One role of the sweeper may be to clear frost and
of the stone (the area in contact with the ice) is 0.05m debris from the path of the stone. With two curlers sweep-
from the outside of the stone (Marmo et al., 2006a). ing in tandem, the sweeper next to the stone will have the
Sweeping closest to the stone will have the greatest im- greatest impact on stone-ice friction and be sweeping

Vertical Force during three 20s bouts

of sweeping
250

200
Vertical Force (N)

150

100

50

0
Male: Male: Male: Female: Female: Female:
Bout 1 Bout 2 Bout 3 Bout 1 Bout 2 Bout 3

Figure 4. Vertical force during 20s bouts of sweeping in male and female curlers.
Bradley 499

vigorously. The second curler can be sweeping in front of tioned athletes will be of considerable benefit to team
the first curler, clearing frost and other debris from the success through a major tournament.
path of the stone, requiring sweeping of much less inten-
sity. As discussed earlier, the fatigue profile within a Acknowledgements
period of 20-25s of sweeping and in repeated bouts of The author would like to acknowledge the help and assistance of the
Mike Hay, Cate Brewster, and Derek Brown of the Scottish Institute of
hard sweeping can show a considerable decline. To over- Sport for their passion, enthusiasm and for introducing me to the sport of
come this, highly practised pairs of sweepers can change curling. The author would like to thank Mark-Paul Buckingham and
who is sweeping with high intensity next to the stone and Brett Marmo of Reactec for always answering my questions and for
who is clearing debris mid-way through a delivery, to developing the sweep ergometer. Finally, the author would like to thank
the curlers within the Scottish Institute of Sport for their cooperation and
sustain vertical force and sweeping rate and maintain a enthusiasm.
greater effect on reducing stone-ice friction. If the two
curlers are on opposite sides of the stone (as is the con- References
vention), changing who is sweeping next to the stone mid-
way through the stone trajectory will impart some ability Behm, D.G. (2007) Periodized training program of the Canadian Olym-
to ‘steer’ the stone on the ice. Changing sweeping sides pic curling team. Strength and Conditioning Journal 29(3), 24-
31.
will allow the stone to stay straighter or curl more de- Buckingham, M-P., Marmo, B.A. and Blackford, J.R. (2006) Design and
pending on the stone rotation. use of an instrumented curling brush. Proceedings for the Insti-
The high intensity nature of effective sweeping and tution of Mechanical Engineers, Part L. Journal of Materials:
the long duration nature of curling games and tourna- Design and Application 220(4), 199-205.
Denny, M. (1998) Curling rock dynamics. Canadian Journal of Physics
ments place considerable emphasis on musculoskeletal 76, 295-304.
conditioning, particularly of the upper body and trunk Jensen, E.T. and Shegelski, M.R.A. (2004) The motion of curling rocks:
muscles. Knee, back and shoulder injuries are the most experimental investigation and semi-phenominological descrip-
common injuries reported from curlers (Reeser and Berg, tion. Canadian Journal of Physics 82(10), 791-809.
Marmo, B.A. and Blackford, J.R. (2004) Friction in the sport of curling.
2004). Sweeping the stone carries the greatest risk of The 5th International Sports Engineering Conference, Davis,
provoking an injury, followed by the action of stone de- California, September 2004. International Sports Engineering
livery (Reeser and Berg, 2004). Focussing on these areas Association, Sheffield. Volume 1, 379-385.
in strength and conditioning will produce more injury- Marmo, B.A., Farrow, I.S., Buckingham, M-P. and Blackford, J.R.
(2006a) Frictional heat generated by sweeping in curling and its
resistant athletes. The ability to sweep on either side of a effect on ice friction. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechani-
stone is also a considerable advantage to tactics and strat- cal Engineers, Part L. Journal of Materials: Design and Appli-
egy of a game and better conditioned curlers will be more cation 220(4), 189-197.
able to achieve this skill more effectively. Marmo, B., Buckingham, M-P. and Blackford, J. (2006b) Optimising
sweeping techniques for Olympic Curlers. International Sports
Recently conditioning programmes for curling Engineering Association Conference, Munich, Germany 2006.
have been developed, containing resistance training, car- Abstract: Sports Engineering 9(4), 249.
diovascular training, balance training, core training and Penner, R.A. (2001) The physics of sliding cylinders and curling rocks.
flexibility training (Behm, 2007). Adding to this training American Journal of Physics 69, 332-339.
Reeser, J.C. and Berg, R.L. (2004) Self-reported injury patterns among
programme the specific demands of sweeping outlined competitive curlers in the United States: a preliminary investi-
above and the injury profiles of curlers (Reeser and Berg, gation into the epidemiology of curling injuries. British Journal
2004) adds support to the development of a specific con- of Sports Medicine 38(5), E29
ditioning programme to support the unique demands of Royal Caledonian Curling Club: Rules of the Game: Season 2008-2009.
(2008) Available from URL http://
curling. www.royalcaledoniancurlingclub.org.
Shegelski, M.R., Niebergall, R. and Watton, M.A. (1996) The motion of
Conclusion a curling rock. Canadian Journal of Physics 74, 663-670.

Curling in major events can require up to 35 hours of

competition to get to the podium. Sweeping a stone can Key points
be highly physically demanding and whilst not every
stone will be swept with maximum intensity, the ability to • Sweeping a curling stone can be highly physically
recovery quickly and sustain sweeping intensity through- demanding.
out a game and tournament is paramount to success. Ef- • Effective sweeping requires a combination of
fective sweeping can require a combination of greater downward force and brush head speed, determined
downward force and faster sweeping speed depending on by the stone velocity.
stone speed and playing position, coupled with the ability • Sweeping on the left or right of a stone can help the
to sweep on either side of a stone and a high level of team stone to remain straight or curl more depending on
sweeping coordination and efficiency. This can be incor- the rotation of the stone.
porated into the selection of players for team position and • This can lead to the development of sweeping and
sweeping/playing tactics. It can also form the basis of a playing tactics and contribute to team selection.
coaching development programme to develop curlers who
are comfortable and equally effective sweeping on the left
or the right of a stone. The high intensity nature of sweep-
ing produces the most injuries to curlers so highly condi-
500 The sports science of curling

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
John L BRADLEY
Employment
Department of Education, University
College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
Degree
PhD
Research interests
Coaching science and the demands of
competitive sport.
E-mail: j.bradley@ucc.ie

John L Bradley
Department of Education, University College Cork, Cork,
Ireland.