In curling, “having the hammer” means your team gets to throw the last stone of the end, which is a big strategic advantage.

What the hammer actually is

  • The hammer is simply last‑shot advantage in an end.
  • The team with the hammer always delivers the final stone, after all other rocks have been played.
  • Because scoring is only finalized after the last rock stops, that final throw can change the score dramatically.

Why the hammer is so important

  • It lets the team with the hammer see how the house looks and then choose the best final play: draw for points, hit an opponent’s rock, or blank the end.
  • Teams with the hammer typically aim to score at least two points in that end, while the non‑hammer team tries to “steal” (score without hammer) or hold them to just one.
  • Many players consider the hammer more valuable than a single point because it can swing momentum over multiple ends.

How a team gets the hammer

  • Before the game, a “Last Stone Draw” (LSD) is used: players from each team slide a stone toward the button, and the team with the closest average distance earns the hammer in the first end.
  • After each end, the team that did not score gets the hammer in the next end; if the end is blank (no one scores), the hammer usually stays with the same team.

Strategy example

Imagine the last rock of an end:

  • Without the hammer, your opponent already has a stone near the button and you can’t respond if they improve their position.
  • With the hammer, you get the final chance to knock theirs out or draw inside it for one or more points, often turning a bad situation into a good one.

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Wondering what does it mean to have the hammer in curling? Learn how last‑stone advantage works, why it’s so powerful strategically, and how teams gain and use the hammer in modern curling.

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