Shout It...Shout It...Shout It out Loud! This was a Kiss song. I don't watch the Gene Simmons Family Jewels reality show, but back in the day, I was, like many others, a Kiss fan. They had the right idea with this Shout song, and if they were curlers , the song would still apply. (Although they would have a heck of a time gluing Teflon to the spiked shoes they wore). Members of Kiss would have made great front end players shouting down to their skip.
Skips can only call line. They can't really see the speed of the rock so they must depend on the lead and the second to shout down to them just where they think the rock will come to rest, OR, how fast the rock is travelling. Is it guard weight, back line, takeout, or parking lot? The sooner the skip has this information, the sooner a decision can be made whether to stick to the plan or find a "Plan B"
Strong front ends can make a team. Their good sweeping and their capacity to quickly relay information to their skip makes them an integral part of the game.
A good exercise for front end players is to start to relay information to your skip. Talk to your skip and make a plan for this. You will be surprised at how fast you become good at this. This information will benefit your team BIG TIME. Try using a stopwatch. If you take a split time from the back line to the hog line and then watch to see where the rock ends up, the next split time you take will tell you if it is heavier or if it is lighter. If it is lighter, you will have the time to jump on that rock and sweep it. If you are still confused about using stopwatches, talk to someone on your team and they will be able to advise you.
So leads and seconds, here's a challenge for you and an opportunity to become even more involved in the game. Communicate with your skip on the rocks coming down the ice. Shout out the information he needs. "This is Heavy, or "Tee-Line Weight" or "Light"...you can see how this will help. The sooner the skip hears this, the sooner he or she can react.
Yes, Kiss would make good front end curlers. I would make them lose the make up and wear a jacket. Those low cut leather shirts would make for a cold game...and certainly would allow too many chest hairs to fall on the ice. The only thing they would be shouting to their skip is "PICK!"
Rock On!
The Curling Chronic
Monday, October 27, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Variety is the Spice of Life
Variety is the Spice of Life. Now there's an idiom that we have all been exposed to at one time or another. Boy, it's true too! Seems like whatever we are doing, we need to mix it up after a while or things just go from routine to mundane. The ultimate boredom we feel is like a curse and we look for something to shake that feeling.
Elton John wrote an excellent ditty called Levon. It's a song about a guy who blows up and sells balloons all day....and he made good money at it too apparently. He was bored to death with it, but I guess he stuck with it and got his son doing the balloon thing too. Ultimately, his son got bored with blowing up the balloons and spent his time wishing he could be away from his dad and those darn balloons. Maybe Levon should have let the boy sell some balloons or perhaps, be the guy who goes and picks up the balloons...either way, give him a job other than blowing up balloons all day. Just to keep him interested.
Now what if Levon was a skip in the men's league? He brings in his son to play lead. So game in and game out, the boy throws all draws, never a take out. After a while, the boy becomes so bored with being a lead, he does not want to curl anymore. Why? Because there is no variety for him! Perhaps Levon would have done well to let the boy play second from time to time just so he could throw some take outs, mixed in with the draws.
In curling, lead stone is the most common entry-level position in the game. New curlers are asked to draw, draw, draw. This gets them used to the delivery. It acquaints them with weight consistency. They learn brushing. From the front end, they pretty well learn the game. This is all necessary!
The thing is, after a while, new curlers want to move forward. Learn to throw take outs and learn the more advanced strategies of the game. What is happening is that they are growing with the game. This is a natural progression. The fact of the matter is, newer curlers need to be given the opportunity to grow. Ultimately, they will taste all the positions and find the place on a team of 4 that will be their niche. Perhaps they will go back to being lead because they know they can offer consistent draws to the team as well as effective brushing. Maybe they will end up throwing second stones because they can throw accurate take outs and make a quick adjustment to draw weight for the second stone. Whatever the case, new curlers need the opportunity to see the game from all sides. As experienced curlers, it is our responsibility to ensure that newer players get this experience or they may not be curlers for long.
It can be argued that lead position is a very important position in the game today. The lead stones will determine the way an end will go. Thanks to the 4-rock rule, the lead's ability to put those guards up or put one in the house is paramount. Good leads are every bit as important on a team as anyone else. Shot making aside, good leads (good front ends in general) can look at a rock when it is released and know where it will end up at the other end. They will convey this information to the skip. And, there is nothing like good brushing. Good brushers can make the shot for their skip!
If you are a skip, a good exercise might be to switch up your front end from time to time. Let your lead shoot second stones and vice versa. If you are a lead on a team and want to try a different position, let your skip know. Maybe he can help you out. Try sparing in different positions in different leagues (like the mixed leagues) because the experience will be great! Get out there and get your feet wet!!
Good teams are not only those teams that can execute well. The chemistry MUST be there. Players must be content in the position they play. The only way for players to know they are content in a certain position is to experience other positions. There will come a time when each and every one of them will have their "curling epiphany" and find their niche. Then, and only then, will they be able to fully grow into that position and embrace it.
Levon would do well to follow this advice. Let his son take a break from blowing up balloons all day; perhaps let him get into sales or purchasing. Ultimately, he might hate sales, or he might hate dealing with the balloon mongers. You never know, he might end up back at the balloon stand, lips puckered and ready for another day. However, he'll be blowing them up with enthusiasm this time, because he will have found his balloon niche.
Rock On!
The Curling Chronic
Elton John wrote an excellent ditty called Levon. It's a song about a guy who blows up and sells balloons all day....and he made good money at it too apparently. He was bored to death with it, but I guess he stuck with it and got his son doing the balloon thing too. Ultimately, his son got bored with blowing up the balloons and spent his time wishing he could be away from his dad and those darn balloons. Maybe Levon should have let the boy sell some balloons or perhaps, be the guy who goes and picks up the balloons...either way, give him a job other than blowing up balloons all day. Just to keep him interested.
Now what if Levon was a skip in the men's league? He brings in his son to play lead. So game in and game out, the boy throws all draws, never a take out. After a while, the boy becomes so bored with being a lead, he does not want to curl anymore. Why? Because there is no variety for him! Perhaps Levon would have done well to let the boy play second from time to time just so he could throw some take outs, mixed in with the draws.
In curling, lead stone is the most common entry-level position in the game. New curlers are asked to draw, draw, draw. This gets them used to the delivery. It acquaints them with weight consistency. They learn brushing. From the front end, they pretty well learn the game. This is all necessary!
The thing is, after a while, new curlers want to move forward. Learn to throw take outs and learn the more advanced strategies of the game. What is happening is that they are growing with the game. This is a natural progression. The fact of the matter is, newer curlers need to be given the opportunity to grow. Ultimately, they will taste all the positions and find the place on a team of 4 that will be their niche. Perhaps they will go back to being lead because they know they can offer consistent draws to the team as well as effective brushing. Maybe they will end up throwing second stones because they can throw accurate take outs and make a quick adjustment to draw weight for the second stone. Whatever the case, new curlers need the opportunity to see the game from all sides. As experienced curlers, it is our responsibility to ensure that newer players get this experience or they may not be curlers for long.
It can be argued that lead position is a very important position in the game today. The lead stones will determine the way an end will go. Thanks to the 4-rock rule, the lead's ability to put those guards up or put one in the house is paramount. Good leads are every bit as important on a team as anyone else. Shot making aside, good leads (good front ends in general) can look at a rock when it is released and know where it will end up at the other end. They will convey this information to the skip. And, there is nothing like good brushing. Good brushers can make the shot for their skip!
If you are a skip, a good exercise might be to switch up your front end from time to time. Let your lead shoot second stones and vice versa. If you are a lead on a team and want to try a different position, let your skip know. Maybe he can help you out. Try sparing in different positions in different leagues (like the mixed leagues) because the experience will be great! Get out there and get your feet wet!!
Good teams are not only those teams that can execute well. The chemistry MUST be there. Players must be content in the position they play. The only way for players to know they are content in a certain position is to experience other positions. There will come a time when each and every one of them will have their "curling epiphany" and find their niche. Then, and only then, will they be able to fully grow into that position and embrace it.
Levon would do well to follow this advice. Let his son take a break from blowing up balloons all day; perhaps let him get into sales or purchasing. Ultimately, he might hate sales, or he might hate dealing with the balloon mongers. You never know, he might end up back at the balloon stand, lips puckered and ready for another day. However, he'll be blowing them up with enthusiasm this time, because he will have found his balloon niche.
Rock On!
The Curling Chronic
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
For Whom the Bell Tolls
"To bell or not to bell", that is the question. I'm sure if William Shakespeare had been a curler in a small Canadian curling club instead of some writer hanging around Stratford Upon Avon, he might have written this in the place of the famous soliloquy we all know so well. There is a good chance he would have been dealing with the "Bell" issue in an effort to get the late draws started on time.
Picture this: You're in the 5th end of a game against a team whose skip is agonizing about every shot. The play has been slow all game and players are getting bored. To make matters worse, you are down three and hoping for a deuce to get the game close. The plan is, to keep fighting back and to take the game in the eigth end. Your team seems to have the momentum to do this. However, that is never going to happen because the bell just rang(Or in our case, the WWII siren wails; everyone ducks expecting an air raid at any time). This means, finish playing the end you are on and play one more. The opportunity for the big finish is gone with the bell.
Frustrating? You better believe it! Necessary? In this case ..ABSOLUTELY!
The bell poses an interesting dilemma. On the one hand, games need to be played and over in the two hours allotted. By and large, most games should only take two hours. This becomes an important consideration when there is another draw coming on immediately after, especially in the evening. It's true; getting on late when you already have the late draw can be a bummer. It can be frustrating playing against a skip that favours slow play.
But it's a double-edged sword.....
Skips who are trying to play their best and want to make the best decision for a particular shot will stand back and have a look at the situation. What feels like the most comforable shot to throw? What does the rest of the team think? Is it worth the risk? Is there a way to only give up one? These are decisions we all face at some point during the game. And let's face it, skips need to be afforded the opportunity to think about that shot for a moment from time to time. Especially when the game is tight and both skips desperately want to avoid being the first to implode.
So how do we deal with slow play? One solution is the bell. It is absolute. Once rung, that's it. Finish your end, play one more and head to the lockers. It is sure to keep the draws on time. But there is something about the bell that carries a negative connotation. It's so totalitarian, so impersonal, so darn frustrating when you are trying to make a come back. The bell will surely make both teams pay for the slow play even though most times, only one team is guilty of it.
Is there anything else that can be done? HOW ABOUT PLAYING FASTER? Now that sounds like a great solution to this dilemma. Teams need to support this initiative...not just the skip. When you are shooting, huge amounts of time can be saved over the game if you are in the hack and ready to shoot before the preceding shot has come to rest. This will buy your team time. Skips must learn to be decisive. Save the long analytical sessions for those times when it really matters. In many ends, your shot will be obvious or just a couple of options. Go ahead and make a choice and get down the ice and shoot. Decisiveness for a skip is a skill, so practice this. If you are a skip, be conscious of the time. Make sure your team is going to stay within the two hours allotted. Practice being decisive...it will save you time and boost your confidence. It sends a message to the opposing team that you are ready to rock....game on!
Or, it's back to the bell. The bell will not care about your feelings because it's just a bell. I like the idea of controlling my own curling destiny. I hope you do too. Let's get out there and keep our games within the two hours. The late draw people will be happier and it shows them consideration.
To bell or not to bell?....Well, I say "not to bell" but we need to make sure that we don't give the bell a reason to ring, or it will be "for US that the bell tolls!"
Rock On!
The Curling Chronic
Picture this: You're in the 5th end of a game against a team whose skip is agonizing about every shot. The play has been slow all game and players are getting bored. To make matters worse, you are down three and hoping for a deuce to get the game close. The plan is, to keep fighting back and to take the game in the eigth end. Your team seems to have the momentum to do this. However, that is never going to happen because the bell just rang(Or in our case, the WWII siren wails; everyone ducks expecting an air raid at any time). This means, finish playing the end you are on and play one more. The opportunity for the big finish is gone with the bell.
Frustrating? You better believe it! Necessary? In this case ..ABSOLUTELY!
The bell poses an interesting dilemma. On the one hand, games need to be played and over in the two hours allotted. By and large, most games should only take two hours. This becomes an important consideration when there is another draw coming on immediately after, especially in the evening. It's true; getting on late when you already have the late draw can be a bummer. It can be frustrating playing against a skip that favours slow play.
But it's a double-edged sword.....
Skips who are trying to play their best and want to make the best decision for a particular shot will stand back and have a look at the situation. What feels like the most comforable shot to throw? What does the rest of the team think? Is it worth the risk? Is there a way to only give up one? These are decisions we all face at some point during the game. And let's face it, skips need to be afforded the opportunity to think about that shot for a moment from time to time. Especially when the game is tight and both skips desperately want to avoid being the first to implode.
So how do we deal with slow play? One solution is the bell. It is absolute. Once rung, that's it. Finish your end, play one more and head to the lockers. It is sure to keep the draws on time. But there is something about the bell that carries a negative connotation. It's so totalitarian, so impersonal, so darn frustrating when you are trying to make a come back. The bell will surely make both teams pay for the slow play even though most times, only one team is guilty of it.
Is there anything else that can be done? HOW ABOUT PLAYING FASTER? Now that sounds like a great solution to this dilemma. Teams need to support this initiative...not just the skip. When you are shooting, huge amounts of time can be saved over the game if you are in the hack and ready to shoot before the preceding shot has come to rest. This will buy your team time. Skips must learn to be decisive. Save the long analytical sessions for those times when it really matters. In many ends, your shot will be obvious or just a couple of options. Go ahead and make a choice and get down the ice and shoot. Decisiveness for a skip is a skill, so practice this. If you are a skip, be conscious of the time. Make sure your team is going to stay within the two hours allotted. Practice being decisive...it will save you time and boost your confidence. It sends a message to the opposing team that you are ready to rock....game on!
Or, it's back to the bell. The bell will not care about your feelings because it's just a bell. I like the idea of controlling my own curling destiny. I hope you do too. Let's get out there and keep our games within the two hours. The late draw people will be happier and it shows them consideration.
To bell or not to bell?....Well, I say "not to bell" but we need to make sure that we don't give the bell a reason to ring, or it will be "for US that the bell tolls!"
Rock On!
The Curling Chronic
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