DIRECTIONAL ACCURACY OF THE DELIVERY IN COMPETITIVE CURLERS

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the directional accuracy of the delivery in competitive curlers. Sixteen curlers each delivered a total of eight stones to three target locations with different combinations of rotation and speed. A laser device located near the ice surface was used to determine the line of delivery, and Dartfish was used to measure the position of the stone relative to the line of delivery. Comparisons were made at specific events: setup, pull-back, release, and after release. The results indicated significant main effects for target location (p <0.001) and for turn (p <0.001) but not for speed (p = 0.341). Post-hoc analysis revealed positional differences in the stone between the setup and pull-back phases and the release and after release phases. This information will help curlers to improve their accuracy during the delivery.