Registered: Oct 2019
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So apparently I hadn't been paying attention, because I've always thought front end sweepers specialize to one side of the rock or the other, and stick to it either throughout their entire career, or at least throughout one particular lineup of the team.

Then I saw Hebert & Flasch swapping positions to sweep Koe's rock to create a tricky blank for Jacobs ( https://youtu.be/RnmNDk3EaAU ).

Does this happen all the time, and I just haven't noticed before? Are there any notable examples of front end sweepers switching sides, either on a rock-by-rock, or team-by-team basis?

Are there any notable examples of an elite front end sweeper that has always stuck to one side throughout their entire careers? Even as they played with different teams?

Is this a non-issue that no one cares about and I'm only making it a bigger deal than it really is?

Last edited by curlingclips on 03-22-20 at 07:17PM

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Registered: Oct 2019
Location:
Posts: 1523

So I've been paying more attention lately, and I noticed that yes, Hebert & Flasch do swap positions occasionally, usually for some critical shot where I guess they thought it was advantageous for one reason or another.

The other component to front end positions is of course the third. I noticed, for example, that Marc Kennedy stays on the same side, so Ryan Harnden has to switch side to accommodate him.

https://youtu.be/dhXkwfrfHHE

Other thirds will switch sides so the front-end doesn't have to, e.g. Mark Nichols. That said, the most famous and dramatic front-end switch is probably Gushue's Brier-winning rock in 2017. Gallant took Walker's spot, and Nichols jumped in to relieve Walker, who was injured.

https://youtu.be/jDjwtgb2gBw

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