Curling shot types

Every shot type you can practice in Curling Ice.

Curling strategy lives in shot selection. This catalog covers every shot type available in the simulator — what it is, when to use it, and how difficult it is to execute. From a basic draw to the button through angle raises and peels, each shot is playable and scored in the app.

Draw shots

4

Draw shots are delivered at draw weight — slow enough to stop inside the house. The goal is precise placement: on the button, in a specific ring, or behind cover. Draw accuracy is the foundation of all curling strategy.

Diagram of a draw to the button curling shot

Draw to the Button

Beginner

Clean house. One shot. Land as close to the button as you can. The essential shot every curler learns first — the benchmark for draw weight and line control.

Diagram of a back 4-foot draw curling shot

Back 4 Draw

Easy

Draw to the back 4-foot ring. A controlled placement that's tough to dislodge and useful for stealing or defending behind cover. Requires heavier weight than a simple draw to the button.

Diagram of a come-around draw curling shot navigating around a guard

Come-Around Draw

Medium

Navigate around a guard stone to land in the rings. The stone must curl around the guard without touching it. One of the most important draws in team strategy — it places a scoring stone where the opponent can't easily hit it.

Diagram of a freeze draw curling shot sitting against an existing stone

Freeze Draw

Hard

Draw to sit directly against a stone already in the rings, freezing tight to it. Leave no daylight between the stones. When executed perfectly, the front stone becomes very difficult to remove without also moving yours.

Guard shots

3

Guards are intentionally placed in front of the house to block the opposition's angle of attack. Placement precision — distance and lateral position — is everything. A guard in the wrong spot is useless; in the right spot, it can define the entire end.

Diagram of a near guard curling shot just in front of the rings

Near Guard

Beginner

Place a guard just in front of the house on the center line. Don't bite the rings — the ideal stone sits right in front, protecting the house. The most common guard placement in competitive play.

Diagram of a far guard curling shot well up the sheet

Far Guard

Easy

Place a guard further up the sheet, well in front of the house. Provides early protection and forces the opposition to play around it from further out. Critical in the free guard zone during the first four rocks of each end.

Diagram of a center guard curling shot on the center line

Center Guard

Easy

Place a guard on the center line between the hog line and the rings. A key defensive placement that sets up come-around draws and complicates the opposition's clearing angles for the entire end.

Raise shots

2

A raise uses the shooter stone to push (promote) another stone into the house. The challenge is controlling the weight precisely — too hard and the promoted stone flies through the rings; too soft and it doesn't reach the scoring position.

Diagram of a raise shot promoting a stone into the house

Raise

Medium

Hit a stone sitting in front of the rings and promote it back into the house. Precision weight is everything — too hard and it flies through. Used to turn a guard into a scoring stone without exposing your own shooter.

Diagram of an angle raise shot promoting a stone to a specific side of the button

Angle Raise

Hard

Promote a stone into the rings at an angle, placing it on a specific side of the button. Requires precise aim and controlled weight. The shooter approaches from an angle so the promoted stone rolls to the intended scoring position.

Takeout shots

5

Takeout shots remove opposition stones from play. They are delivered at hit weight — faster than a draw — and differ primarily in what happens after contact: where your stone rolls, and how precisely you need to aim. Takeout accuracy is what separates teams under pressure.

Diagram of a control takeout shot removing an opponent stone and rolling to score

Control Takeout

Easy

Remove an opposition stone with controlled weight, keeping your own stone in the house. The roll matters as much as the hit — you're aiming to score with the shooter after contact, not just remove the opponent.

Diagram of a normal takeout shot removing an opponent stone and rolling clear

Normal Takeout

Easy

Remove an opposition stone cleanly and roll safely to the side. The standard aggressive play when scoring position is at stake. Both stones leave the house — the goal is simply removing the threat.

Diagram of a nose hit curling shot where shooter stops on the same spot

Nose Hit

Medium

Hit the opposition stone directly on the nose so your stone stops on the same spot. A precise replacement shot — the opposition stone is removed and yours takes its exact position. Requires a dead-straight approach and exact weight.

Diagram of a hit and roll shot where the shooter rolls to a protected position

Hit and Roll

Hard

Hit an opposition stone and use the angle to roll to a new, protected position in the rings. The roll destination is the real skill — you're removing a threat and scoring with your own stone in a single shot.

Diagram of a peel shot removing a guard with heavy weight

Peel

Medium

Remove a guard stone from play entirely using heavy weight. Both the guard and your shooter roll out of play. The defensive reset — used to eliminate guards that are preventing access to the house and simplify the end.