In curling, “the hammer” is the last stone thrown in an end. The team that has it gets the final shot, giving them the best chance to score or block the other team.
When you’re watching a game, you’ll hear skips say, “We have the hammer,” or announcers call it “hammer time.” Teams celebrate when they keep it for the next end and groan when they lose it. Fans might even joke, “Don’t waste the hammer!” if a skip misses an easy take-out.
Meaning & Usage Examples
- Definition: Final stone of an end.
- Usage: “Great peel—now we’ve got the hammer for the next end.”
- Result: The hammer often decides who scores points.
Context / Common Use
- If the end is blank (no points), the hammer carries over to the next end.
- Teams sometimes blank an end on purpose to keep the hammer.
- Commentators love to say, “They’ve saved the hammer,” when a blank is successful.
What happens if no one scores?
The hammer stays with the same team for the next end.
Can you lose the hammer?
Yes. If the other team steals a point, they get the hammer next end.
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