Curling is a fascinating sport, full of contradictions, where heavy granite stones are slid great distances on ice but with such great precision that sweeping a broom across the path can make the difference between a well-made shot and a complete miss.

Learn all about this fast-growing sport with detailed instructions and explanations on executing the core skills, with light-hearted humour sprinkled throughout.

Perfectly suited for beginners and those looking to improve their game, this walkthrough can help get you up to speed all on its own. It also serves as a complement for a learn-to-curl program at your local curling club.

It includes explanations for why we do things the way we do in curling (such as current theories on directional sweeping), and will help you improve your game in this wonderful, quirky sport.

Written by John Robertson, a curling club coach in Unionville, Ontario, and a technical writer who specializes in explaining complex topics for regular people.