Article 1 – Part 3 - Strategy & Tactics

PART 3

As discussed, there are 5 basic stages to properly staging an 8 end game. Stage 1 occurs in end 1-2 and as we move though the ends 3-4 and so on, so do the stages.

So how do we relate these to our 3 types of game plans, Defense, Offense and Blended attack? To make is a little simpler I have created a table which may help you understand it.

DEFENCE FIRST

Stage	Scoreboard Target	Without Last Rock	With Last Rock
Stage 1 (Ends 1-2)	Avoid Opposition Control Game	Protect or Probe (-)	Probe (-) Or Probe (+)
Stage 2 (Ends 3-4)	Gain at least Potential Control	Protect or Probe (-)	Probe (+) Or Probe (-)
Stage 3 (Ends 4-5)	Gain at Least Limited Control	Probe (-) or Protect	Probe (+) Or Probe (-)
Stage 4 (Ends 6-7)	Maintain Control Position for Stage 5	Protect TO Probe (+)	Probe (+) TO Pursue
Stage 5 (End 8)	Win the Game!	Protect TO Pursue	Protect TO Pursue

OFFENCE FIRST

Stage	Scoreboard Target	Without Last Rock	With Last Rock
Stage 1 (Ends 1-2)	Push to Gain Limited Control	Probe(-) or Probe (+)	Pursue Or Probe (+)
Stage 2 (Ends 3-4)	Push to Gain Definite Control	Probe (+) or Probe (-)	Pursue Or Probe (+)
Stage 3 (Ends 4-5)	Gain/Maintain Definite Control	Probe (+) or Probe (-)	Pursue Or Probe (+)
Stage 4 (Ends 6-7)	Maintain Control Position for Stage 5	Protect TO Probe (+)	Probe (-) TO Pursue
Stage 5 (End 8)	Win the Game!	Protect TO Pursue	Protect TO Pursue

Balanced/Blended

Stage	Scoreboard Target	Without Last Rock	With Last Rock
Stage 1 (Ends 1-2)	Gain at least Potential Control	Probe (-) or Probe (+)	Probe (+) Or Pursue
Stage 2 (Ends 3-4)	Gain at least Limited  Control	Probe (-) or Probe (+)	Probe (+) Or Pursue
Stage 3 (Ends 4-5)	Move Toward Definite Control	Probe (-) or Probe (+)	Probe (+) Or Pursue
Stage 4 (Ends 6-7)	Maintain Control Position for Stage 5	Protect TO Probe (+)	Probe (-) TO Pursue
Stage 5 (End 8)	Win the Game!	Protect TO Pursue	Protect TO Pursue

Now that we have the basic understanding of what we need to do we need to remember 2 key moderators to any game plan; Playing conditions and the Opponent. I mean these are simple right?

You MUST consider the quality and consistency of the ice and for that matter the rocks. If you don’t and don’t know how to adjust the plan to these conditions then maybe you should just go home. Not trying to be mean but if your team can not adjust to heavy ice or quick ice, swingy or straight then real there is not much hope for a win that game.

The other MAJOR component which is truer in wheelchair curling than able-bodied curling understands the opponent. Not only understanding what they can or cannot do on the ice or during the game but also to understand the disability that each player has. Each type of disability and player is going to be able to do thing the other may not. I mean tolerance to cold, spasms, ever the difference between a para and a quad can give you the advantage over the other team. You must consider their performance and capabilities along with their strategic preferences.  In the early days of Wheelchair curling most women (no offence) played lead and could not throw take out weight. So strategy was simple and direct has to how to take that to your advantage. Today the grounds have leveled out and we must look closer at what a player can or cannot do. We saw examples or this at Nationals. I was surprised to see many teams not take advantage of some player’s inability to throw certain types of turns. In most games teams would though 1 turn way more than another and the stats showed this. 80% of the time an IN turn was selected over and over again. Why did teams not pick up on this and make IN turn preference teams throw the other turn?

Also;  in those players who are Quads; their disability often determines what type of turn they can throw often with those players being only able to throw that turn. Again; we saw this at nationals and few teams picked up on it. In one game, if the team playing had forced the lead to throw the other turn and the same for the skip then that team would have won ease. We need to look at the big picture and that requires research.

So we need to ask; How would you modify your ‘typical’ Game Plan, if at all, when faced with each of the following realities: Poor Playing Conditions, Good Playing Conditions,   a Stronger Opponent, a Weaker Opponent? 

This ends article 1 and in the next series we move on to strategy and tactics part 2. We will get much more specific regarding strategy including some scenarios. Please leave us a comment on what you thought of parts 1-3.