Brushing, more commonly known as sweeping, is an essential skill in curling. Sweeping can affect a rock in two ways: It can affect the distance a rock travels, and it can affect the degree to which a rock curls. If you know how to sweep properly, you can affect the distance a rock travels by eight to 12 feet. Sweeping works because a curling ice surface is "pebbled," which means there are tiny raised bumps in the ice. By sweeping these bumps you can briefly melt the ice and create a thin plain of water, which reduces the friction on the rock and allows it to travel further.
Stance
When sweeping you want to stand in a way that distributes your weight onto the head of the brush, while also positioning yourself so you can move gracefully in front of the rock. Think of yourself as a tripod; you want your broom to support your weight so that you don't have exert as much energy pushing down on the broom with your arms. You should also try to stand at a 45-degree angle relative to the path of the rock so that you can see the rock and see the Skip --- the captain of the team.
Motion
The ideal sweeping technique is a back-and-forth motion that spans barely wider the running surface of the rock, while the sweeping strokes should be on a 90-degree angle from the rock's path. The running surface of a rock measures approximately 5 inches in diameter, so using a sweeping motion wider than 5 inches is inefficient. The strongest sweeper should be nearest to the rock, and should sweep about four or five inches in front of the rock. The next sweeper should be as near to the first sweeper as possible.
Grip
For the ideal grip, place your inside hand --- the one closest to the rock --- about halfway down the shaft of the broom. Much of your body weight will be supported by this hand as it transfers your weight to the head of the brush. Place your outside hand about one foot down from the handle of the broom, tuck the handle under your arm and lean forward.
Making the Rock Curl
To make the rock curl you can employ a technique called "Corner Sweeping," although it's important to do this technique properly because if done incorrectly, you may be in violation of the rules. The idea is to sweep one side of the running surface more vigorously than the other to initiate a sharper curl. It's important that you still sweep in front of the entire running surface of the rock, because sweeping only one side of the running surface is illegal. The key is to focus your pressure on only one side of the ice so that it melts more than the other side, initiating a more pronounced curl.
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