Height:  5' 7"
Date of Birth:  9/18/75
Hometown:  Madison, WI
Position:  Skip
Delivers:  Right-handed
Started Curling:  1989

Craig's Info. . . .

CURLING HIGHLIGHTS
2000 U.S. Men's National Championships  -  1st Place
2000 Men's World Championships   -  Semifinalist
2000 U.S. Mixed National Championships  -  1st Place
1998 U.S. Mixed National Championshipsnbsp; -  1st Place
1997 U.S. Men's National Championships   -  3rd Place

CURLING VOCABULARY
Bonspiels - curling tournaments
Delivery - the body motion of a curler as the rock is being shot
Draw - a rock that stops in front of or in the house (target)
Heavy Ice - when the ice is "slow" and the rocks have to be thrown harder
Freeze - a draw that finishes in front of and next to another rock
Hammer - the last rock of each end
Hurry - a command shouted by the skip or shooter to tell the sweepers to sweep
Keen Ice - when the ice is "fast" and less momentum is needed to get the rock to the target

Timing the Delivery of the Curling Rock:

Timing refers to a finely tuned sequence of movements during the delivery of the rock toward the house. The separate parts are integrated into a continuous, fluid motion essential for accuracy and consistency. There are three major movements during the delivery: Press, Drawback, and Slide

Press -Once you are comfortable with your setup in the hack, the delivery motion begins with a forward press. Simply move the rock ahead a few inches down the line of delivery, basically to initiate motion and get the rock "unstuck" from the ice. Be sure to keep the rock's "turn" position during the press.

Drawback -Pull the rock straight back on the line of delivery and draw back the sliding foot. Simultaneously elevate your hips and draw them back behind the hack. At the peak of the drawback, your body weight is anchored and about evenly distributed on both feet. Your sliding foot is now about toe to heel in relation to your hack foot, with space between. Maintain the rock's "turn" position.

Slide -The transition from the drawback to the forward slide involves a significant weight transfer as your hack foot pushes out of the hack. Forward movement is initiated by the rock, followed closely by the sliding foot. Your hack foot thrusts you forward and your body weight shifts almost entirely onto your sliding foot during the slide. Your hack leg trails directly behind your body. By keeping the timing and movement controlled as the sliding foot gets centered, one fluid motion is created. Your sliding foot position is the key to balance.

Three more Delivery Tips:

Timing – Many curlers kick out the hack as soon as the forward slide begins. Leg drive should begin after the rock and your sliding foot started forward so that body weight can be shifted smoothly from the hack leg to the sliding foot. To improve leg drive timing, practice delivering without a rock. Allow the sliding foot to move in gradually. As body weight is shifted to the sliding foot, initiate leg drive. Delivering without a rock is also a good way to check to see if your delivery is balanced.

Balance –Your sliding foot must be flat to the ice and centered under the chest to achieve a balanced slide. If possible, angle your sliding foot to increase the sliding area and provide surer balance. The broom can provide momentary support but should not be relied on for maintaining balance. A balanced delivery means you won't be leaning on the rock and will be able to impart a positive turn upon release.

Release – The rock is released during the last few feet of the delivery. Until that time, your throwing arm remains comfortably flexed and the position of the rock handle is still turned as it was during the setup. Using the good grip established at the setup, turn the handle from the turned position to 12 o'clock as you simultaneously extend your arm. Release the rock cleanly and follow through so that your hand finishes in the "handshake" position. The rock should rotate about 2 and a 1/2 times during a draw shot.

The point of release should follow completion of timing and balance. A release is too early if it occurs simultaneously with, or prior to, achieving a balanced position over the sliding foot. Too late of a release point will present more opportunities to inadvertently take the rock off line, or crowd the hog line. Establishing a comfortable release point greatly increases consistency.