Understanding Curling's Hammer: The Pivotal Last Stone Advantage
Curling stands as one of the most popular and strategically complex sports at the Winter Olympics, where Team GB aims to demonstrate considerable skill, steady nerves, and intense precision. At the 2022 Winter Olympics in Cortina, three medal events are featured: men's team, women's team, and mixed doubles, with each discipline contested by ten nations and a total of 112 competitors.
The Hammer Rule: A Core Strategic Element
The hammer is a crucial component in curling, referring to the team that holds the Last Stone Advantage. This privilege allows that team to throw the final stone of each end, which is generally a significant tactical advantage. With all other stones already thrown and the current scoring situation clear, the hammer provides a decisive opportunity to influence the outcome.
Whichever team fails to score during an end will automatically receive the hammer in the next round. This rule sometimes leads teams to strategically avoid scoring just a single point, instead opting to retain the hammer and aim for a heavier score in the subsequent end. The hammer is retained if neither team scores, maintaining the advantage.
Determining the Hammer Before the Game
Before a curling match begins, teams must decide who will possess the hammer, also known as Last Stone Advantage. In championship curling, this is determined through a precise process called the Last Stone Draw or LSD. Two players from each team deliver a stone as close as possible to the centre of the house, with one stone thrown clockwise and the other counter-clockwise. The distance from each stone to the centre is meticulously measured, awarding the hammer to the team with the closest stone.
Team Roles and Throwing Order
In the men's and women's team events, each squad consists of four playing members and an alternate. The final two stones of each end are typically thrown by the skip, who acts as the de facto captain of the rink. The skip shapes the team's overall strategy and must execute shots calmly under intense pressure, making their role critical to success.
The mixed doubles format, introduced at the Pyeongchang Games, features a different structure. Great Britain is represented by Jennifer Dodds and Bruce Moat in this discipline. In mixed doubles, where five stones are played per end, the same team member throws the first and last stones, while their teammate handles the middle three stones. Teams begin every end with one stone per team pre-placed, creating the potential to score up to six points in a single end.
This intricate balance of strategy, skill, and the hammer rule makes curling a captivating spectacle at the Winter Olympics, where nations compete for glory in a test of precision and tactical acumen.
