Hobbs Mallets

Hobs mallets are good, durable competition mallets, characterised by an alluminium shaft which may be removed for carriage or turned relative to the head. Mallets are made to measure for each individual, to the specified overall weight, head length and handle length.

All mallets are £170.00, plus £10.00 for delivery to addresses in Great Britain Mainland, except Scottish Highlands. Please ask about deliveries to other areas.

Mallet features are as follows:

Rotate the head to suit your grip

The handle can be rotated in the head, so that regardless of how you hold it, you can adjust the head to bring it into line. Unfortunately the accuracy of the mallet still depends on the player, but many people have experienced an improvement in their accuracy on roquets, due to being able to hold the handle more comfortably and then adjusting the head if necessary.

Shock absorber

The mallet has an aluminium shaft with a nylon rod that joins head and handle and provides flexibility. This absorbs shock on croquet shots and even strong roll shots are virtually shock free. Players who want a stiffer shaft can have the aluminium going straight into the head.

A lightweight handle

To keep the handle light the top grip is made of balsa wood, with a plastic Karakal Hockey grip wound round it. The bottom grip is made of a very light material called Duplon - used in fishing rod grips.

Variable Weight

By putting a number of steel washers into two holes in the underside of the head you can make the head have a range of weights, to suit fast, medium and heavy lawns, or Golf and Association games. You insert either a wooden disk or some washers; these are covered by an outer disk of Tufnol and held in place by a substantial brass screw. To maintain strict balance you should take washers out in pairs, one from each end of the head. Note: varying the weight is not necessarily recommended, as many players find it is better to stick with one weight which they get used to.

Curved bottom

If you have a 12 inch head there can be a danger of digging in when swinging.This can be overcome this by making the bottom curved so that the ends are about 9mm off the ground. Regretably the curved bottom is not legal under USCA rules, since they specify that the faces shall be at right angle to the bottom of the head.

Top Grip Width and Thickness
For a normal size hand 32 mm (1¼") by 27 mm (1 1/16") suits most people and 35 mm (1 7/16") width by 28 mm (11/16") thickness suits a large hand. I have made my handle 32 mm by 27mm for my own glove size (Euro 3, or size 7).

If you intend to use the handle with the long axis going from front to rear then do not choose too thin a handle - 32 mm by 27 mm is the right sort of ratio.

Top grip length
Unless you hold one or both hands down low and have a long handle, the standard 38cm (15") grip is OK. Hold your hands in your usual positions and see how low you need the top grip to come down. If you use the standard grip and your bottom hand is very low I suggest you don't have a longer grip, but bring your hands closer together - you will then swing much more accurately! If you want your lower hand on the top grip when doing half rolls then it will have to be longer than standard, but it costs £7 more.

Top grip colour and binding tape
Standard Karakal grips come in black, dark or light blue, or green. I have some 'Super' grips with bumps on, which provide a good grip even though you hold only loosely. I find them an improvement and will eventually have them in all colours but at present only in black or green. The binding tape can be black, blue, lime green, yellow or red.

Gap between top and bottom grip
I normally leave a gap of about 8cm (3") between top and bottom grips, (to put my signature in!) but you can have the bottom grip covering all the aluminium if you wish, there's no extra charge.

Type of Wood
The type of wood is mostly a cosmetic consideration. However, if you have a low density wood, it requires more lead behind the faces and that in turn helps reduce twisting. BUT, such woods are not so hard and it is doubly important not to use the side of the mallet to 'trundle' the ball across the lawn. If you want a named wood with exotic grain patterns pleasephone or Email me, since the particular wood may not be in stock. The woods normally used are below and the first four are available in widths up to 6.3cm (2½"). For curved bottoms to the head you are limited to pau amarello, purpleheart and rosewood.

Pau amarello	yellow	medium, black sightline
Mahogany	red/orange	light (not for trundlers!)
Indian Rosewood	dark brown	medium
Purpleheart	purple	medium
Goncalo alves	beige/light brown	medium
Padauk	bright red	light (not for trundlers!)
Imbuya	grey brown	light (not for trundlers!)
** Mexican rosewood	brown and black	beautiful striped patterns

**£5 extra

Initials
Have initials on top of the head, beside the handle, or have a name in upper and lower case. Don't have it too long or it will distract you

Ordering

Sorry, it is not possible to order these mallets on-line at the moment. Please Contact us to discuss your requirement.

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