Golf Croquet Lessons
The Club provides free lessons starting in mid-September and continuing into October.
Lessons are on Sunday mornings starting 15 September (tbc) at 9:30 am for four consecutive Sundays.
Interested - contact the club or just show up at 9:30 am on the 15th
The Croquet Court
Lesson 1
Finding a comfortable grip for you, to enable you to swing the mallet and hit the ball long distances with some accuracy.
The Lawn is 35 yds long and 28 yds wide.The colour sequence of the balls
Primary Colours Blue/Red/Black & Yellow = the 1st game on a lawn
Secondary Colours Green/Pink/Brown & White = the 2nd game on the same lawn.
This is the correct colour playing sequence in each game and is painted on the centre peg from top to bottom,
The team colours are (whether you are playing singles or doubles)
Primary Colours: Blue & Black play Red & Yellow
Secondary Colours: Green & Brown play Pink & White
Starting position for the game is the 4th Corner (Marked by the Yellow Flag)
The winners of the toss play Blue & Black in Game 1 or Green & Brown in Game 2.
There are 6 hoops and a Centre Peg on each lawn.
Playing the Hoops in order:
Hoop 1 is the Blue Top Hoop going North from the Southern Boundary nearest the 1st corner Flag which is Blue.
Hoop 2 is going North nearest the 2nd corner Flag which is Red.
Hoop 3 is coming South nearest the 3rd corner Flag which is Black.
Hoop 4 is coming South nearest the 4th corner Flag which is Yellow.
You now have completed the 4 outer hoops in clockwise rotation, time to go up North through the middle of the court.
Hoop 5 is the 1st hoop going North with a Red Coloured Top,
bypass the Centre Peg onto Hoop 6 directly North of the Peg.
The 1st 6 hoops in order have now been negotiated, onto the next 6 hoops in order.
Commencing at Hoop 7 which is located Directly Nth West of Hoop 6 coming South.
We will run the next 3 outer hoops after Hoop 7 in an anti clockwise rotation.
Hoop 8 is directly South, then Hoop 9 is to the left but running Northwards, Hoop 10 is directly North and now it is time to head back down the middle of the Lawn running Hoop 11 & 12 Southwards, remembering that the Big Centre Peg is nothing, but an obstacle (to be avoided if possible).
If the game is now tied at 6 All, then we head back Northwards to hoop 13, which is a rerun of Hoop 3 running South nearest the Black Flag.
You can win a game 7/0 up to 7/6..
Lesson 2
A brief review of Lesson 1 - your grip and your stance
Practise running the hoops in order.
Stunning a ball with your strikers ball - how to smash the opposition ball away from where it was a nuisance.
Blocking the opposition ball - a fine art. It takes time to adjust to lawn speed plus the small variances that occur on the lawns.
Lawn etiquette.
Play a real game with club members.
The Standard Grip
The Solomon Grip
Lesson 3
Setting up the lawn - placement of hoops and pegs
Your Playing Options
Option 1 score the hoop point.
Option 2 if the opposition ball can score the hoop and you can't, then clear them away.
Option 3 if the opposition can score the hoop, place your ball between them and the hoop blocking their hoop shot.
Option 4 if none of the above is possible the only thing left to do is for you to take position.
The Halfway Rule
When you can't stop the opposition from scoring an easy hoop, you are entitled to travel half way to the next hoop in order. If you play this shot without hitting an opponents ball, you must not travel past the halfway point.
If you pass half way and the hoop is scored before your ball can play another stroke, you are now a penalty ball.
Your opposition will direct you to play from either penalty area
At the penalty marker you are allowed to measure a 1 yd half moon mark, and can select any position within the half moon from which to play your shot to the next hoop in order.
Lesson 4
Revision of everything addressed in Lessons 1 - 3
Irregularities and the consequences. These include:
interference with a ball by a player e.g. accidentally touching a ball with your mallet
interference with a ball by an outside agency e.g. a ball from another game hits your ball
interference by the court surface e.g. a divot in the lawn
interference with the playing of a stroke e.g. your back swing hits the black piping
interference by defective equipment e.g. your ball jams in the hoop
interference with a ball by a loose impediment e.g. a twig or leaves
interference with a ball by the weather e.g. the wind moves the ball
Playing a Wrong Ball in sequence - remedies and consequences
replace and replay
ball swap
Faults - committed during the striking period and remedies
touching the mallet head with your hand
striking a ball as a result of kicking, hitting, dropping or throwing the mallet
striking the mallet with any part other than the end face
striking the ball more than once in the same stroke (double tap)
maintaining contact between the mallet and the ball (pushing or shepherding)
causing the ball to be in contact with the mallet and a hoop or the peg at the same time (crush)
touching a ball with any part of your body or clothing, or any ball other than the one you intended to strike
moving or shaking a stationary ball
causing damage to the court surface
The Irish Grip