What is the ‘Hammer’ in Curling? (And Why You Want It)

If you listen to the commentary during the Winter Olympics, you’ll hear them talk about “The Hammer” constantly. No, it’s not a tool for fixing the ice. It is one of the most important strategic advantages in curling.

What is the Hammer in curling?

Simply put, the “Hammer” is the last stone advantage.

In an “end”, which is a little like an inning in baseball, each team throws eight stones. The team that throws the very last stone has the Hammer.

Why is the Hammer so powerful?

Imagine a penalty shootout in football, but you get to see exactly where the goalkeeper dives before you kick the ball. That’s the Hammer.

Because you get the final shot, you can see exactly where all your opponent’s stones are before deciding what to do. You can use that last stone to:

• The Takeout: Knock the opponent’s winning stone out of the house to remove their points.

• The Draw: Slide your stone gently towards the very centre, known as the “button”, to secure the point at the last second.

The strategy of the “Blank End” (scoring zero on purpose)

This is the part that confuses many first-time watchers. Sometimes, you will see a Skip, or captain, intentionally knock all the stones out of play so that nobody scores.

Why would they do that?

It comes down to the Golden Rule of the Hammer: you want to score two or more points.

• If you can only score one point, you lose the Hammer for the next end. Strategically, that can feel like a missed opportunity for the team with the advantage.

• By scoring zero points in a “Blank End”, you usually get to keep the Hammer for the next end.

Essentially, the team is saying: “We didn’t like the look of this end, so let’s scrap it and try again next time.”

The nightmare scenario: “The Steal”

The Hammer comes with plenty of pressure. If the team without the Hammer manages to leave a stone near the centre that is hidden behind guards, the team with the Hammer may struggle to remove it with their final shot.

If the team with the Hammer fails to score and the opposition scores instead, the opponent has “stolen” the end.

A steal can create a major momentum swing in curling because the team without the last-stone advantage has managed to score despite being at a strategic disadvantage.

How do you get the Hammer?

In the first end of a competitive curling match, the Hammer can be determined through a Last Stone Draw (LSD), where players attempt to place a stone as close to the button as possible.

After that, the basic principle is simple: the team that scores in the previous end gives up the Hammer.

• Did you just score two points? Great. The other team gets the Hammer next.

• Did the opposition steal a point from you? You keep the Hammer and get another opportunity to respond.

• Did you intentionally blank the end? You retain the Hammer for the next one.

Understanding who has the Hammer makes curling much easier to follow. Suddenly, those apparently strange decisions to remove stones, avoid scoring a single point or leave guards in play start to make much more sense.

Ready to test your strategy?

Ready to test your strategy on the ice-free lanes?

Book a session at The Curling Club, with locations across London at Vinegar Yard and Chelsea, and we’ll flip a coin to see which team starts with the Hammer.

Use that last shot wisely. It could be the difference between buying the next round of drinks or having them bought for you!