What is the Hammer in Curling and Why It Matters

Introduction

The hammer is one of the most important tactical concepts in curling. Understanding what the hammer in curling means helps spectators and players alike appreciate strategic choices during an end, why teams sometimes intentionally blank an end, and how scoring opportunities arise. The hammer directly influences shot selection, risk-taking and end-game tactics.

What is the hammer?

The hammer in curling refers to the advantage of throwing the final stone in an end. The team with the hammer delivers the last shot of that end and therefore has the best opportunity to score or to convert complex situations into multiple points. Because the final stone can remove opposition stones or position a scoring stone, the hammer is often decisive in close play.

How the hammer is decided

At the start of a game the hammer is usually determined by a coin toss or by a Last Stone Draw (LSD) practice shot; in many competitions teams throw a draw to the button with the last-stone distances used to rank who receives the hammer. During the game the hammer typically passes to the team that did not score in the previous end: if Team A scores, Team B has the hammer in the next end. If an end is blanked (no points scored), the team that had the hammer retains it for the following end.

Related terms and outcomes

A ‘steal’ occurs when the team without the hammer scores one or more points — stealing away the advantage. A ‘force’ is when the non-hammer team limits the hammer team to a single point, effectively reducing the hammer’s value. Teams with the hammer may aim to score multiple points; teams without the hammer often focus on defensive shots to promote steals or force single-point ends.

Conclusion

The hammer is a central element of curling strategy. Knowing what the hammer in curling is clarifies many in-game decisions: why teams choose aggressive or conservative tactics, why blanking is sometimes desirable, and how end-to-end momentum shifts. For viewers, recognising who holds the hammer and how teams respond provides a clearer picture of match dynamics and likely outcomes as a game progresses.