Croquet is a game of skill and strategy, angles, tactics, and guile. A bit like snooker on grass. Will your balls get through the hoops and peg out before your opponent’s? It is played on equal terms by men and women and between young and old.
Croquet offers sport, friendships, fun, competition and a whole lot more.
It is played with mallets and balls on a lawn of 35 x 28 yards, with six hoops and a centre peg. It can be an enjoyable social game or played competitively up to international level.
No special equipment or clothing is required, just flat soled or trainer type shoes to protect the lawn. Clubs will provide coaching and the use of a club mallet until you feel the need to buy your own.
There are two main versions of the game, Golf Croquet and Association Croquet.
Golf Croquet is a simpler version and after just a few minutes introduction, you can play a game. Each player plays one stoke in turn until someone scores a hoop. Then all players continue, in order, to the next hoop. As you get more experience, skill and tactics come into play.
This video goes back to 2008 and shows two expert players playing some fantastic shots that we “normal” players could only dream about!
Association Croquet is more strategic. One player takes to the lawn to try to score as many hoops as possible. To achieve this, players can earn extra strokes to keep their break going. If another ball is hit than the player places their ball next to the ball that was hit. The player then plays a Croquet stroke after which the game was named. The player then hits their ball to place the two balls on the lawn. Strategy is needed to plan where best to place the balls and the player then needs the physical ability to get them there.
The History of Croquet – This links gives some information about the hisrtory of the Sport of Croquet, up to the modern day.