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02-22-19 03:22PM
curllaw is offline Click Here to See the Profile for curllaw Find more posts by curllaw Add curllaw to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
curllaw
Knee-Slider

 

Registered: Dec 2018
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Crazy Rule Idea: Ban Stopwatches

My crazy idea for a new rule would be to ban stopwatches from competition. Part of the skill in curling is (or should be) judging weight, right? Allowing stopwatches seems to place less of a premium on judging weight. Why not require curlers to use their own judgment and experience to assess weight, rather than allow them to rely on stopwatches? Everyone uses stopwatches, I know, so I'm sure this would be unpopular. Still, as a fan, I'd like to see how good the elite curlers really are if they have to rely solely on their own judgment and not technology.


Food for thought, anyway. Sorry if this has ever been suggested elsewhere. I'm relatively new here.

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02-22-19 04:01PM
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EPMD
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I would be good with that rule. If nothing else, having to time everything isn't particularly fun, and the goal of curling is to have fun.

A cross-sport comparison for this type of rule is the banning of GPS and laser range finders in golf.

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02-22-19 05:45PM
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prairie guy
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I would be fine with this idea.

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02-23-19 04:56AM
On The Nose is offline Click Here to See the Profile for On The Nose Find more posts by On The Nose Add On The Nose to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
On The Nose
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Firstly, not everyone uses stopwatches, as you say. A number of elite level curlers/teams don't use them.
Secondly, the 'Grand Slams' don't allow stopwatches to be used (at least they didn't allow them the past few years - I assume this season was the same).
Thirdly - you are right - part of the game includes the ability to judge the weight of the shot, and a stopwatch is an artificial aid to doing this.

Lastly - and most importantly... stopwatches only work at a high level of curling. Elite level players will be consistent in their slides - i.e. they will slide out at pretty much the same speed for every t-line draw, for every Hack weight take-out, etc. This is NOT the case at the club level. At the club level, the stopwatch probably CAUSES MORE ERRORS than it helps - because club level players don't slide out with consistent speed. It is incredibly easy to screw up a stopwatch - by sliding out slowly and pushing the throw, by sliding out hard and holding back the throw...
Yet, many club players swear by their stopwatch - because they see the 'pros' on TV using them. But the fact is that 90% of club players have no idea that the stopwatch is worse than useless at that level.

So, yes, I agree with the ban on stopwatches at the elite level... if only to remove the influence it has on club curlers who try to emulate the 'pros', but who have no idea what they're doing.

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02-23-19 09:23AM
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prairie guy
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I thought stopwatches were only banned from the Elite 10 slam but not the others? Unless that changed just this year.....

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02-24-19 01:58AM
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On The Nose
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I should clarify that in my previous post, I was referring only to timing the t-line to hog times. That doesn't work well in club curling.
But hog to hog times can be helpful at any level of curling - because you're timing the rock, not the thrower - and so there are no variables (other than the path of the rock and the sweeping, of course).

I thought it was all the grand slams that do not allow stopwatches.
I must confess, though, that I'm not a big fan of the grand slams - to me, they are trying desperately to create 'importance' through talking them up a lot. But they are really made for TV events... and while it's nice to see more curling on TV, I find it insulting to the intelligence to be repeatedly told by the announcers that the grand slams are really important events.

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"It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own... but the great man is he who, in the midst of the crowd, keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

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02-24-19 01:55PM
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curlky
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1000000% ban them, and never look back.

But to say they are not useful for club curlers is silly. It is fair to say they are not good for all club curlers, but there are tons of club curlers who are skillful and have a consistent and/or positive release, so timing works fine for them.

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02-24-19 09:37PM
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CaptMorgan
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Registered: Feb 2009
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Seriously...

How many that have replied to this, curl competitively and do not use stop watches?

If it does not apply to you, you do not have a say.

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02-24-19 09:43PM
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MeaghanEdwards
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Meh, I say leave it as a personal preference, if they aren't banned from an event, then I say why not let them use one?

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02-25-19 12:17AM
On The Nose is offline Click Here to See the Profile for On The Nose Find more posts by On The Nose Add On The Nose to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
On The Nose
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quote:
Originally posted by curlky
1000000% ban them, and never look back.

But to say they are not useful for club curlers is silly. It is fair to say they are not good for all club curlers, but there are tons of club curlers who are skillful and have a consistent and/or positive release, so timing works fine for them.


No - not silly at all. I've seen stopwatches screw up the sweeping far more than I've seen it help at the club level when timing t-line to hog. Overall, it's more of a hindrance than a help. But some people insist on using it - even after it has proven time and time again to screw them up. Because they want to be like 'the pros on TV'... sigh...
Even many elite level curlers dislike the stopwatch and don't use it - and these elite level men and women are far more consistent in their slides than are any club curlers.

As well, by relying on the stopwatch, one also does not develop a natural 'feel', or 'eye' for the weight by watching the rock.

__________________
"It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own... but the great man is he who, in the midst of the crowd, keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

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02-25-19 01:19PM
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Island Roger
Harvey Hacksmasher

 

Registered: Mar 2014
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Seeing as were talking about rule changes I think the powers that be should consider the following ....

The free guard zone is not exactly free these days with the ability of some to tick. Therefore the free guard zone should be divided into two zone (primary fgz and secondary fgz)

The proposed primary FGZ is the area from hog to house and anything inside the new added 4 foot lines (yes bring them back!). Any rock that comes to rest completely within this area must stay in this zone until the fifth rock of the end.

The proposed secondary fgz will be identified as the area from hog to house outside of the four foot lines. Any rocks that come to rest in this area cannot be removed from either fgz until the sixth rock of the end.

BTW, any stone that comes to rest and is touching the 4 foot line is considered to be in the secondary fgz.

I know it probably seems like we're picking on the team that build leads and has a good ticker on board but I pay my money to see 8 or 10 ends of strategy as well as shotmaking. Now that teams are ticking earlier and earlier its really diminishing a team ability to come back.

The 10th end in a tie or one point game should be the most exciting part of the game Now two ticks and the end is basically over after 4 shots.

And yes I did see the game last night but that's what you get sometimes when you have a team trying to defend a lead in a championship final. If this is a typical Wednesday at the Scotties they shake after 8 or 9.

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04-27-23 10:47PM
lindausa0106 is offline Click Here to See the Profile for lindausa0106 Find more posts by lindausa0106 Add lindausa0106 to your buddy list Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
lindausa0106
Knee-Slider

 

Registered: Apr 2023
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I think this is not a crazy idea because in some tournaments or some sports, they still have a policy of banning chronographs.
snake io

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04-28-23 02:20PM
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Bulls Eye
Harvey Hacksmasher

 

Registered: Mar 2017
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Posts: 80

Agree not a crazy idea but I can never see it being implemented at the club level. Like many posters have mentioned, the stopwatch does help with assessing speed but only in consideration with other factors, e.g. path, release, freshness of pebble, etc. I find many teams now have one curler on the watch and the other eying the rock and release. Plus pro shops want to sell stopwatches and key holders.

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Curling Scores

M: USA Curling Junior National Championships
Eau Claire, WI
Teams | Scores | Standings | Playoffs
Draw: M5 -- Wed, Mar 27 -- 7:00pm CT
Fitzgerald Final
Guentzel (10) Watch Live Curling!
Cenzalli Final
Rose (10) Watch Live Curling!
Church Final
Lannoye (10) Watch Live Curling!
Hebert Final
Brenden (9) Watch Live Curling!
W: USA Curling Junior National Championships
Eau Claire, WI
Teams | Scores | Standings | Playoffs
Draw: W5 -- Thu, Mar 28 -- 8:00am CT
Giroux 8th
Schapman  Watch Live Curling!
Johnson 8th
Scheel  Watch Live Curling!
Berg 9th
Viau  Watch Live Curling!
Pekowitz 11  Final
Berg (7) Watch Live Curling!
M: Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Championship
Fredericton, NB
Teams | Scores | Standings | Playoffs
Draw: CF -- Fri, Mar 22 -- 1:00pm AT
Lott/Lott Final
Walk/Muyr (8) Watch Live Curling!
M: Swiss Junior Championships
Thun, SUI
Teams | Scores | Standings | Playoffs
Draw: CF2 -- Sun, Mar 24 -- 3:00am ET
Caccivio Final
Brauchli 12  (EE)
Dryburgh Final
Ringgenberg (9)
W: Swiss Junior Championships
Thun, SUI
Teams | Scores | Standings | Playoffs
Draw: CF2 -- Sun, Mar 24 -- 9:00am CET
Schwaller Final
Oberson (9)
Blackham Final
von Arx (9)
W: NWTCA Curling Club Championships
Fort Smith, NT
Teams | Scores | Standings | Playoffs
Draw: 3 -- Sat, Mar 23 -- 11:00am MT
Stroeder Final
Delorey (7)
M: NWTCA Curling Club Championships
Fort Smith, NT
Teams | Scores | Standings | Playoffs
Draw: 3 -- Sat, Mar 23 -- 1:00pm ET
Delorey Final
Lockhart (EE)
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