There are two basic strategies to curling that you should know when starting out. The first on is when your team has the first shot. Your objective is to try to get 1 point since you opponents have the advantage of last shot. To achieve this you want to guard the center so that your opponents cannot use their last shot to get a point, as shown on the left.
The other strategy is when you have the hammer (last shot). What you want to do is to keep the rings open (shown on the right) so that you can hopefully get 2 points.

Option 1: Play Safe
Since it is early in the game, and you are probably not comfortable with the ice, quite a few people would elect to play to the eight or twelve foot, in the house, but away from the center line. This is a good play. You are telling your opponent that you don't want to get into anything fancy just yet, and he will more than likely hit your stone. That way, you play for the miss, and if and when it happens, you can peel the center line guard. This will probably end up as a blank end. If there is no miss, later in the end you can try and roll behind his guard and score two that way.

Option 2: Go For It
Of course, there are curlers out there who will go for it right from the start and get an early lead (or an early deficit). If you play behind the center line guard, you are putting pressure on the other team right away. Let's assume that your lead makes a perfect shot, burried completely at the top of the four foot. Now the other team has got to make a very good shot to get you out. But, they also have control of what is known as the scoring zone, or control zone. We will discuss this further next time, but for now imagine an area 2 feet in front of the house, and 2 feet wide on each side of the center line. This is the control zone, and your opponents rock is in it so they have control over it. Their rock can always be promoted to a better spot, perhaps onto your rock in the four. Also, if your lead's rock ever went behind the tee line, your opponent would now have a center line guard as well as a rock he can freeze to. The options that the offensive approach can lead to are endless, but if you play this way, be prepared to lose big as well. Offence is good in moderation, but taking yourself out of the game early is no fun for anyone. Play safe, play smart and be patient. Wait for the third or fifth end to take your chance and play to the wings in the first.

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