Technical
Practice Routines
This page gives suggestions for practice routines which will develop important skills for an improving croquet player. They are aimed at players with a handicap of 12 or below.
Break Practice
1. |
4-Ball Break |
Standard break with a mobile pivot - attempting to get rushes out of
hoops to near pivot, shot-shot next pioneer and get rush on pivot to near
current pioneer. Reference: basic 4-ball break, mobile pivot. |
2. |
4-Ball Break - Swapping Pivot every Hoop |
Rush (or, if things go badly, roll) the reception ball from current hoop
to existing pivot obtaining rush on it to behind the next pioneer. Stop
it to next-but-one hoop whilst approaching current hoop's pioneer. Reference: changing pivot in a 4-ball break. |
3. |
3-Ball Break |
Standard - rushes and stop-shots. Reference: the 3-ball break. |
4. |
4-Ball Break - Rushing Practice |
No pioneers! Place four balls in the centre of the lawn, rush one to next hoop, rush reception ball back to centre and take another ball out to next hoop. |
5. |
4-Ball Break - Thinking Practice |
Start with rush to current hoop and pioneers on next and next-but-one hoop. Play as 3-ball break feeding current reception ball 3-hoops ahead. Requires accurate rushes to be able to approach next hoop's pioneer along its rush line! |
6. |
3-Ball Break - No Pioneers |
No pioneers! Place 3 balls in the centre of the lawn. Rush one to hoop. After hoop rush it back to centre, then rush other ball in the centre to the next hoop... |
7. |
Rover Peel |
Starting with a set 4-ball break on 3-back, peel partner ball through
rover as you go to the peg and peg both out. Reference: peeling. |
8. |
4-Ball Break - Peeling Practice |
Take two balls into every second hoop and peel the hoop in any direction
with one of them. Reference: peeling. |
Stroke Practice
1. |
Hoop Approaches - 1 |
Approach hoop 3 from corner 3 with a croquet stroke, run hoop and roquet reception ball. Ideally getting rush to hoop 4. 8 attempts. |
2. |
Hoop Approaches - 1 |
Approach hoop 4-back from corner 3 with a croquet stroke, run hoop and roquet reception ball. Ideally getting rush to penultimate. 8 attempts. |
3. |
Roquet Practice - Short |
Set four balls between hoop 4 and south boundary and roquet each from the end of A-baulk. 8 attempts. |
4. |
Roquet Practice - Short |
Set four balls on East boundary between hoop 4 and corner four and roquet each from the end of A-baulk. 8 attempts. |
5. |
Pegging Out |
Peg out four pairs of balls from 2, 3 and 4 paces away from the peg. Reference: pegging out |
6. |
Cannons - 1 |
Approach hoop 3 from corner 3 whilst sending a pioneer to hoop 4. Reference: special shots, cannons for beginners, cannons. |
7. |
Cannons - 2 |
Approach hoop 3 from corner 4 whilst sending a pioneer to hoop 4 Reference: special shots, cannons for beginners, cannons. |
Avoid practicing on hoop 1; everyone tends to and it gets unduly worn.
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