Cool Curves 

In curling, sometimes you use your stone to knock your opponent’s stone out of the way. Other times, more finesse is required. Thomas Flexer, president of the Penn State Club Curling team, breaks down a come-around shot, which sends your stone around others to a strategic position in the house (scoring area). 

1. GET ON THE SAME PAGE
The skip—the player who calls the shots—is positioned behind the stones and will call instructions out to the thrower and the sweepers at the other end of the floor.

2. START THE SPIN
For a come-around that starts on the right side and curls toward the center, the thrower will rotate the stone counterclockwise about a quarter of a turn as he throws it, which will help move the stone in the proper direction.

3. SOLO ACT
Most throws require two sweepers, who help control the speed of the stone by brushing the ice out of its path. For come-arounds, only the sweeper on the outside is needed, and brushing toward the center of the ice completes the curl of the shot.

BONUS TIP: Not all playing surfaces are the same, so Flexer suggests that the thrower take a few ends to get used to how fast the stones are traveling before trying a finesse throw like the come-around.