What's With The Stopwatch?

A lot of members have been asking me recently about the stopwatch that I have attached to my broom. You may have also seen, or heard, curlers on TV talking about using their stopwatch to time rocks. So how exactly does one use a stopwatch to improve their curling game?

First, it is important to understand that the stopwatch can be a very important tool to improve your curling game, but by no means is it a necessary piece of equipment. Further, some curlers fall into the trap of relying only on a stopwatch, and lose focus on some of the other important aspects of judging rocks. This isn’t a good idea!

The main thing that stopwatches are used for in advanced curling is interval timing. In other words, timing how long it takes a rock to travel between two fixed points. There are several different intervals that can be timed, but I like to stick to two main intervals.

1)   Back Line to Hog Line

The first interval that can be timed is the amount of time it takes a rock to travel from the back line (line closest to the hack) to the first hog line. This timing is done by sweepers, and can be used to guess how far the rock will travel.

For example, on many curling sheets to throw a tee-line draw (rock that stops on the tee line) it takes between 3.50 and 4.00 seconds for the rock to travel between the back line and first hog line. Let’s say that the sweepers have established that 3.50 seconds results in a good draw time; they can then use their stopwatch time to help them guess how far future draws will travel. If the interval time is lower, the rock is sliding faster, and will therefore likely travel further.

The biggest warning that I can give here is that these times are almost never fully accurate. Every person has a different delivery, and therefore every time will be slightly different. Further, different spots on the ice can be faster or slower, and therefore times will be different.

Another big factor is a person’s release. Some curlers have a “firm” release, meaning they put a positive rotation on the rock and release it straight at the broom. Others have a “soft” release, turning their wrist over on release and having less rotation as the rock travels. A firm release often will mean the rock travels further (therefore needing a higher interval time) while a soft release may require a lower interval time.  

Remember: the stopwatch can be a tool, but the best tool is still the eye. Sweepers must use their own judgment as the ultimate decider on a rock’s speed.

I like to use this interval time to assist me not as a sweeper, but a thrower. I time every draw rock I can, in order to narrow down the draw weight for the ice. That way, when I step in the hack, I have a fairly accurate guess as to how hard I have to slide to achieve the desired weight. You will hear curlers on TV ask their sweepers what they should throw for a draw. The sweepers will likely reply with this interval time – somewhere between 3.50 and 4.00 seconds.

2)   Hog Line to Hog Line

Another very useful interval to time is the amount of time it takes for a rock to travel from one hog line to the other. This can be helpful in determining draw weight, but I really like to use this interval with my teams to help us have a consistent hit weight.

For a draw, it usually takes about 14 seconds for a rock to travel between the hog lines and land around the tee line. A higher time means faster ice, while a lower time means slower.

However as I said, I really like to use this interval not for draws, but to determine takeout weight. For my teams, a “normal” take out weight shot takes about 10 seconds to travel between the hog lines. A “firm” takeout weight is about 9 seconds, and a “peel” is 8 seconds or less. Obviously the less time it takes for the rock to travel between the two lines, the faster it is travelling.

The reason this information is important is because the amount of weight thrown is directly related to how much the rock will curl. A rock thrown with 10-second weight will curl more than a rock with 9-second weight. This is important information to know, so that the skip can put their broom in the right place. Again, you will hear top teams use either the terms (normal, firm, peel), while some teams go straight to the hog-to-hog time, asking for “10-second weight”.

Those are the two interval times that I use most often as tools to improve my curling game. As I said, there are many other variations. Some teams will time from tee line to the near hog line to determine draw weight. Others will use the time it takes the rock to travel from the near hog line to its final resting place.

Whether you have a stopwatch on your broom, or around your waist it can be a very useful tool to help both you and your teammates with your curling game. Just remember that it is only a tool – trust your eyes, and use your own judgment as the ultimate deciding factor!