What is a hammer in curling?

In curling, a hammer refers to the last rock thrown in an end by the team with the final shot. The team with the hammer has the advantage of having the last rock and can strategically place it to score more points or take out the opponent's stones that are in play. The hammer is an essential element in curling strategy, and teams often try to gain control of it by manipulating the outcome of each end. A team may choose to give up the hammer in a particular end if they think they can score enough to win the game, or they may try to force their opponent to take a single point and keep the hammer for the next end to have a better chance of scoring multiples. The hammer can play a significant role in the outcome of a curling game, and teams will often strategize carefully to secure it.