In Olympic curling, brooms affect the stone’s path by changing the ice right in front of the moving stone so it goes farther and straighter , with less “curl.”

Quick Scoop: What sweeping actually does

When players sweep in front of the stone, they briefly warm and smooth the pebbled ice surface, which reduces friction.

Lower friction means:

  • The stone keeps more of its speed and travels farther down the sheet.
  • The stone “curls” (bends) less, so its path straightens out compared with an unswept shot.
  • Small bits of debris are brushed away so they don’t bump the stone off-line.

In other words, if the throw will come up short or over-curl, strong sweeping can “stretch” the line and distance to get it closer to the target.

Why this matters so much at the Olympics

At elite level, a difference of just a few millimeters can decide which stone scores, and that can decide an Olympic medal.

Modern high-performance brooms with carbon-fiber handles and specialized synthetic heads give sweepers more speed, pressure, and control than old corn brooms ever did.

There was even a “broom technology” controversy (“broomgate”) when more abrasive broom heads were found to change the stone’s path too much, almost like carving a track in the ice, which led to tighter equipment rules.

Simple mental picture

Imagine sliding a heavy puck over frosty glass:

  • If you quickly rub the glass just ahead of the puck, it glides easier and doesn’t hook as sharply.
  • If you don’t rub it, the rougher surface grabs more, slowing and curving the puck more.

That’s basically what curlers are doing with brooms: fine-tuning distance and direction after the stone has already left the thrower’s hand.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.