what do the brushes do in curling

In curling, the brushes are used to control how far the stone travels and how much it curls (curves) on the ice.

Quick Scoop

• Brushing slightly warms and polishes the ice in front of the moving stone, which reduces friction.

• With less friction, the stone travels farther down the sheet.

• Depending on how and where players brush (straight, angled, high-side/low-side), they can also influence how much the stone curls.

• Two sweepers brush hard and fast in front of the stone to “hold the line” (make it curl less) or help it curl a bit more, based on the skip’s call.

Imagine the ice in front of the stone turning from rough to very slightly melted and smooth for just a moment. That tiny change is enough to let the stone glide longer and tweak its path, which is why sweeping looks frantic but is actually very controlled and strategic.